Welcome to the 2017 Behavioral Models of Politics Conference, held May 18-20 at Duke University. This conference brings together a diverse group of international scholars to address various ways analytical models of politics can be broadened to include “behavioral” concepts, both within and beyond the standard rational choice, game theoretic paradigm. Previous conferences were held held in Pittsburgh in 2013, Duke in 2014, and Pittsburgh in 2016.
Research presented here features a mix of theoretical, experimental, and other empirical approaches from political science, economics, and related disciplines. Empirical research might test or challenge conventional modeling assumptions, identify the boundaries between rational and boundedly rational behavior, or document empirical regularities that need to be accounted for by behavioral models. It may also apply experimental or computational neuroscientific approaches to political decision-making, and includes work in political psychology and behavior that takes or speaks to an analytical or behavioral decision research approach.
The conference’s first day offers a training opportunity for graduate students and others who want to learn more about the methods involved in behavioral modeling. It comprises 7 sequential one-hour sessions covering topics including lab and field experiments, behavioral game theory, stochastic and computational modeling, and psychological and cognitive approaches to decision-making. Workshop leaders will be Liz Carlson, Eric Dickson, Rachel Kranton, Dave Siegel, Mark Turner, Rick Wilson, and Jon Woon. The day concludes with a mentoring dinner that night that includes many workshop speakers as well as additional senior faculty from the conference.