Cognitive Economics Workshop

Call for Papers

Date & Time: Friday 8 – Saturday 9 November 2019.

Venue: King’s College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK

The 21st century is pushing us towards an ever more digital, information-driven, persuasion-based global economy – just as a new set of tools are emerging in neuroscience and psychology that offer the power to understand these phenomena in a new way. Cognitive economics is an emerging field that provides tools of analysis, and experimental methods, to explore the new economy. When the scarcest resource is attention rather than money, how does economic analysis change?

Cognitive economics is a relatively new field linked to behavioural economics and focused on the value that people place on their mental states and beliefs. This phenomenon is important for a variety of topics including marketing, culture, identity economics, citizens’ participation in symbolic narratives such as politics, and the information economy.

Overview of workshop:

The Institute for New Economic Thinking, Young Scholars Initiative Behavior & Society Working Group, Cognitive Economics Society, and the London Behavioural Economics Network are organising a two-day workshop on the emerging field of cognitive economics.

As the workshop’s primary aim is the exchange of ideas and knowledge about cognitive economics, we will be using a variety of formats throughout the sessions to encourage debate and interaction. As well as submitting papers, we are interested in finding ideas for interactive sessions such as roundtable discussion(s), panel debate(s) and idea generation session(s) etc.

Confirmed speakers:

• Shabnam Mousavi, Harding Center for Risk Literacy
• Riccardo Viale, Università di Milano-Bicocca
• David Hagmann, Harvard University
• Sam Johnson, University of Bath School of Management.

Call for papers:

We invite suggestions for 20-minute presentations or topics for interaction sessions (panel discussion(s) etc) on the topics relating to theoretical, empirical and applied cognitive economics. For instance, such as belief-based utility, valuation of symbolic goods, happiness, motivated reasoning, and the development of experimental methods, public policy and marketing applications. This is a cross-disciplinary topic and we welcome contributions relating to one or more of the following overlapping strands:

• Economics (especially the economics of information, attention, and happiness, or behavioural economics)
• Psychology (especially relating to mental simulation, non-standard preferences and narrative)
• Neuroscience (especially relating to attention, valuation and mental simulation)
• Marketing (especially of narratives and intangible goods)
• Talks from other disciplines including sociology, politics, complex systems, or AI are very welcome – provided the topic is examined through a cognitive economics lens

As this is a newly emerging field with fluid boundaries, we expect to take an open-minded view about what is within the scope of the workshop. If you have an idea for a panel or round table topic, or another creative format, please feel free to include that with your submission.

For your presentation or interactive session idea, please send an abstract of up to 300 words, along with your contact details and a brief biographical note by *midnight in any time zone on Monday 19 August*. Please see below on how you can send in your applications.

All applications will be reviewed by the scientific committee. We will respond to all applications by the end of August – please indicate on your form if an early acceptance would be useful.

Registering to attend and sending in an application:

As a joint event between Cognitive Economics Society and Young Scholars Initiative (YSI), you are welcome to apply either as a YSI member or not. Young scholars (typically graduate students) who apply as YSI members may choose to apply for a small travel and accommodation bursary which will typically cover travel within Europe.

• Non-YSI members are welcome to apply through filling in this form: https://forms.gle/dr7a6turqgv59BNL9.
• YSI Members or those wanting to join the YSI (join via their website: https://ysd.ineteconomics.org/register), please submit your application through the Young Scholars’ Directory. Please note: you can only apply for a travel or accommodation bursary via the Young Scholars’ Directory.
• We have limited spaces for researchers who are interested in attending without presenting a paper. Please email Gerçek Çiçek, on gercekcicek@gmail.com for more details.

Once we have the full agenda, we will invite attendees to pick any additional sessions (roundtable discussions, panel discussions, debates) they would like to take an active part in. The workshop is free to attend and includes refreshments.

Further info:

A limited number of bursaries will be available to assist with travel and accommodation expenses. You must register your interest on the YSD portal to be considered for a travel and/or accommodation bursary. If you have any questions or issues, please email the YSI Behavior and Society Working Group co-ordinator, Gerçek Çiçek, on gercekcicek@gmail.com.

Scientific committee:

• David Hagmann: Postdoctoral Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
• Sam Johnson: Lecturer (Assistant Professor), Marketing, University of Bath School of Management.
• Leigh Caldwell: Director of Cognitive Economics Society, organiser of the London Behavioural Economics Network and the YSI Behavior and Society Working Group

The workshop is being organised by:

• Leigh Caldwell
• Gerçek Çiçek: Otto von Guericke Magdeburg University & the YSI Behavior and Society Working Group co-ordinator.
• Tara Cooper: Head of Editorial, Cognitive Economics Society & Inon

Our thanks go to our funders: Institute of New Economic Thinking, Young Scholars Initiative and Irrational Agency and to our partners for supporting the workshop: King’s College London and London Behavioural Economic Network.

 

---