TOPICS IN MICROECONOMIC THEORY - 2020/1
Module code: ECOD019
In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, and in a departure from previous academic years and previously published information, the University has had to change the delivery (and in some cases the content) of its programmes, together with certain University services and facilities for the academic year 2020/21.
These changes include the implementation of a hybrid teaching approach during 2020/21. Detailed information on all changes is available at: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/coronavirus/course-changes. This webpage sets out information relating to general University changes, and will also direct you to consider additional specific information relating to your chosen programme.
Prior to registering online, you must read this general information and all relevant additional programme specific information. By completing online registration, you acknowledge that you have read such content, and accept all such changes.
Module Overview
The module reviews recent developments in Microeconomics, with an emphasis on Consumer Choice Theory and Welfare measurement and a focus on extensions to standard neoclassical theory (Behavioural economics).
Module provider
Economics
Module Leader
BLOW Laura (Economics)
Number of Credits: 0
ECTS Credits: 0
Framework: FHEQ Level 8
JACs code: L120
Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A
Module Availability
Semester 2
Prerequisites / Co-requisites
None.
Module content
Indicative content includes:
- Rational choice theory.
- Preference relations
- Utility representation
- Choice rules
- The consumer choice model.
- Revealed preference theory.
- Afriat’s Theorem (linear programming)
- Testing maximising behaviour
- Empirical revealed preference
- power / predictive success
- goodness of fit
- nonparametric estimation
- Non-linear budget sets.
- Choice under uncertainty
- expected utility, subjective expected utility
- common behavioural violations of expected utility model.
- Behavioural models
- Prospect theory
- Reference dependence (and Kosegi & Rabin personal equilibrium)
- Probability weighting. Also rank dependent utility, cumulative prospect theory.
- Hyperbolic Discounting
- Prospect theory
- Models of household decision making
- Cooperative/non-cooperative bargaining, general “collective household” model.
Assessment pattern
Assessment type | Unit of assessment | Weighting |
---|---|---|
Oral exam or presentation | Individual Presentation (15 minutes) | 50 |
Coursework | Individual Report (3000 words) | 50 |
Alternative Assessment
None.
Assessment Strategy
The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to critically evaluate current literature and to show their understanding of the ideas and techniques covered in the module.
Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:
- A presentation on a research paper of the student’s choice.
- A written assignment from a choice of problems or essay type questions
Formative assessment
Students will be assessed formatively through interactive teaching and learning methods and in office hours.
Feedback
Students will receive verbal and written feedback on their presentation as well as on their coursework.
Module aims
- Provide an overview of frontier topics of different models of consumer choice (static, dynamic, under uncertainty)
- Provide an overview of some basic tools for conducting research in (applied) microeconometric choice theory with a focus on testing different behavioural models
- Facilitate a critical evaluation of recent papers in the relevant literature.
Learning outcomes
Attributes Developed | ||
---|---|---|
001 | Understand key models of consumer behaviour and the history of their development. | KT |
002 | Understand important questions in current applied consumer theory and the methods used to test or estimate these models. | KCPT |
003 | Independently analyse research papers in the relevant area. | KCPT |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Overall student workload
Independent Study Hours: 117
Lecture Hours: 33
Methods of Teaching / Learning
The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:
- Give a broad but still focused overview of frontier topics in applied consumer theory and why they are important/interesting.
- Encourage an understanding of the historical path to current state-of-the-art research questions as a guide to how research develops.
- Enhance students’ skills in presenting their findings in verbal and written format (through discussions in lectures as well as the assignment).
- For students interested in this area of research, this course should also give many of the tools necessary to start an independent piece of research.
The learning and teaching methods include:
11 lectures combining presentations by the lecturer and discussion among the lecturer and students. Discussions will be a mixture of an assessment of papers assigned for reading prior to the lecture, and informal discussion designed to encourage students to comment and interact more spontaneously.
Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.
Reading list
https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ECOD019
Programmes this module appears in
Programme | Semester | Classification | Qualifying conditions |
---|---|---|---|
Economics PHD | 2 | Compulsory | A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module |
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2020/1 academic year.