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LD1008 Applied Behavioral Science and Learning: Nudging and Decision Making 4.0 credits

Administer About course

Make your decisions more informed by learning more about nudging and decision-making. In our course, you will learn about various factors that influence our decision-making and how you can use nudging to improve your own and other people's decisions. The course is based on research on cognitive psychology and decision-making, and you will, among other things, learn about the dual-process theory and how our cognitive limitations affect our decision-making. The course is done in collaboration with the Beteendelabbet, and in the third module you will hear more about how they work with nudging and behavior design in practice.

Information per course offering

Choose semester and course offering to see current information and more about the course, such as course syllabus, study period, and application information.

Termin

Course syllabus as PDF

Please note: all information from the Course syllabus is available on this page in an accessible format.

Course syllabus LD1008 (Autumn 2023–)
Headings with content from the Course syllabus LD1008 (Autumn 2023–) are denoted with an asterisk ( )

Content and learning outcomes

Course contents

The purpose of the course is to develop knowledge and skills to understand, analyse, plan and implement strategies for decision and nudging. Course content:

  • Central aspects of nudging and decision making based on current research in social psychology, behavioural finance and cognition.
  • Exercises in designing nudging strategies and environments for influencing decisions, based on the materials presented in the course and the course literature.
  • Exercises in planning one's own decision making and writing an action plan to avoid common thought traps and cognitive bias.

Intended learning outcomes

After passing the course, the student should be able to:

  1. Give an account of the strategies for decision and nudging brought up in the course.
  2. Identify methods and tools that can be used to achieve behavioural changes and be able to design environments that influence the end user's behaviour.
  3. Describe and analyse common thought traps and cognitive bias that may influence decision making, and present how these can be avoided.
  4. Give an account of the dual process theory and how cognitive limitations influence people's decision making.

Literature and preparations

Specific prerequisites

General entry requirements only

Equipment

No information inserted

Literature

No information inserted

Examination and completion

If the course is discontinued, students may request to be examined during the following two academic years.

Grading scale

P, F

Examination

  • LEXA - Continuous Assessment, 4.0 credits, grading scale: P, F

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

Continuous assessment. The examination components include e.g. multiple-choice questions, open questions and a final assignment, in which the students design a study plan. Final grade is given after a Pass on all examination components .

Opportunity to complete the requirements via supplementary examination

No information inserted

Opportunity to raise an approved grade via renewed examination

No information inserted

Examiner

Profile picture Björn Hedin

Ethical approach

  • All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
  • In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
  • In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.

Further information

Course room in Canvas

Registered students find further information about the implementation of the course in the course room in Canvas. A link to the course room can be found under the tab Studies in the Personal menu at the start of the course.

Offered by

ITM/Learning in Engineering Sciences

Main field of study

Technology and Learning

Education cycle

First cycle

Add-on studies

No information inserted

Contact

Marcus Lithander (mlit@kth.se), digitallearning-support@kth.se

Additional regulations

- In group projects, all members are responsible for the group's work.

- In examinations, each student must honestly report any help that has been received and sources that have been used.

- In oral examinations, each student must be able to give an account of the whole assignment and the whole solution.