How can we trigger prosocial behavior?

Engaging in prosocial behavior is a fundamental human ability that plays a crucial role in addressing societal challenges. Whether it is tackling climate change, reducing global poverty, or fighting pandemics, prosocial behavior is always a key part of the solution.

In this course, we will discuss (i) what prosocial behavior is, (ii) studies that investigate how prosocial behavior, such as donating money and blood, volunteering or environmentally friendly behavior, can be promoted, and (iii) studies that highlight the current challenges of experimental studies.

Learning outcomes

Students improve their ability to understand and evaluate scientific literature. They also deepen their knowledge of behavioral, experimental and econometric methods by studying the methodology of relevant peer-reviewed papers. During the seminar, students learn about current topics in the fields of behavioral economics, experimental economics and the economics of prosocial behavior, learn how to write a term paper and improve their presentation skills. In particular, students will understand how scientific papers are written, how to identify weaknesses in the current literature and how to develop their own research ideas. Students should be enabled to conduct their own research, an important prerequisite for writing their master’s thesis.

Content

The aim of this seminar is to prepare students to critically assess topics in behavioral economics, experimental economics and the economics of prosocial behavior, in particular from an empirical perspective. Seminar participants are expected to make a presentation and write a term paper on a topic agreed upon with the instructor. Beyond summarizing and evaluating the literature, the studies and empirical methods should be examined and critiqued to identify where gaps in knowledge exist. Students are expected to develop and outline their own research ideas and design their own pilot study.