Leonard Green, Washington University
Self-Control as Choice Behavior: The Behavioral Economics of Impulsivity
Tuesday, January 28, Vollum Lecture Hall, 7p.m.
Len Green is currently Professor of Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. One of the pioneers in the field of behavioral economics, Len has published over 150 articles and book chapters, is co-author of the book Economic Choice Theory: An Experimental Analysis of Animal Behavior (Cambridge University Press), and editor of Advances in Behavioral Economics, the third volume of which is subtitled Substance Use and Abuse. His lecture will consider various approaches to the problem of self-control, emphasizing a behavioral economic view that treats self-control as a choice between short-term, smaller outcomes and delayed, larger outcomes. Special emphasis will be placed on the form of the discounting function and its implications for reversals of preference with the passage of time, as well as on commitment strategies to prevent unwanted reversals.