ECON0040: Behavioural Economics
2023-24
ECON0040: WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT
DEADLINE: MONDAY MARCH 25TH, 2024, 12:00 NOON (LONDON TIME).
For this assignment, you will write a paper that can be convertible into a Blogpost on Behavioural Economics. You will need to pick a topic such as:
• Answering a policy question using Behavioural Economics concepts (at least 3).
• Explaining a real-world/empirical phenomenon by using several Behavioural Economics concepts (at least 3).
• Choose a few behavioural concepts that are interconnected and show at least 3 real- world/empirical examples and implications.
As indicated in the syllabus, this assignment is worth 30% of the final mark of this module. All paper submissions (in PDF) should be made using the relevant submission link on the ECON0040 Moodle page. You will be notified once the links are available.
Please note that you will get overall feedback on research questions and an extended abstract of your research. In order to make the most of this opportunity, you will need to submit your research question and your extended abstract in week 7. We will remind you closer to the date. Also, grading examples will be discussed during tutorial 3, and afterwards the guideline will be uploaded in the Assessment
section.
Please note that the word limit for the final submission is 1250-2000 words (not including tables,
graphs, mathematical formulae, data tables, and references). You must state your word count on the cover page of your submission.
Penalties for going beyond the word limit
If your submission exceeds the 2000-word limit, Faculty Penalties will apply as follows.
• For work that exceeds the specified maximum length by less than 10%, the mark for the
question will be reduced by five percentage marks but the penalised mark will not be reduced below the passmark, assuming the work merited a Pass.
• For work that exceeds the specified maximum length by 10% or more, the mark for the
question will be reduced by ten percentage marks but the penalised mark will not be reduced below the passmark, assuming the work merited a Pass.
Penalties for late submission
If you have a disability or long-term medical condition, you maybe entitled to adjustments for
assessments. Please see Section 5of the Academic Manual for information on how to apply for
adjustments. Note that the application must be made well in advance of the assessment. The students with SORA are entitled for one-week extension. Please check the Academic Manual for further
information (Student Regulations for Exams and Assessments 2022-23).
If there is at least one member in your group with SORA, your group is entitled to the extension.
The groups with multiple students with SORA also have one-week extension. All groups that include students with SORA should submit their work on the same submission link. So there won’tbe any separate link for SORA students.
If you submit your work after the deadline and do not have a permitted extension due to a SORA or
Extenuating Circumstance, your work will be subject to late penalties as set out in UCL’s Academic
Manual (Section 3.12 -https://www.ucl.ac.uk/academic-manual/chapters/chapter-4-assessment-framework-taught-programmes/section-3-module-assessment#3.9). These penalties will not be applied in the provisional marks but will be applied later by the Departmental Tutor, Dr Frank Witte, as appropriate. All markings will be merit-based without any consideration of late submissions.
Assessment irregularities including plagiarism
The Economics Department follows UCL’s guidance on academic assessment irregularities, as set out in Chapter 6 (Section 9) of the Academic Manual: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/academic- manual/chapters/chapter-6-student-casework-framework/section-9-student-academic-misconduct-procedure. If an issue arises with your submitted work during marking, the Chair of the Exam Board will be notified immediately and you will be informed of any steps that are going to be taken, in line with the UCL procedures. This can include an adjustment to your provisional marks or more serious penalties. It can also include asking you to attend an oral alternative assessment to check your understanding of the course materials relevant to the assessment. All students should make themselves familiar with what is considered a breach of assessment regulations and what the potential penalties are. You can find a student-facing guide here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/exams-and- assessments/plagiarism.
Usage of AI tools
AI tools cannot be used in this assessment. If an issue related to usage of AI arises with your submitted work during marking, the standard academic misconduct procedure will be followed.
Failure to submit or submission of work that is not considered a reasonable effort
You will be awarded a mark of 0% in any assessment component where you: (1) are absent from the summative assessment component or, (2) do not attempt the summative assessment component or, (3) attempt so little of the summative assessment component that it cannot be assessed. Please check the UCL Academic Manual (Section 3.11) for information on the consequences for not submitting or engaging with any of your assessment components.
If you have extenuating circumstances that affect your ability to engage with any of the module assessment components within the required deadlines, please apply for alternative arrangements to your home department as soon as possible.
Submissions
All work must be submitted anonymously. Do not put any name on any filename or inside any
document. Only use your Candidate Number in your submission. Do not use your student number in your submission. The marking will be anonymous for the assignment.
a. This is a group project with maximum 3 members per group. Please elect one group member to submit the project for the group.
b. Submit the project with the submission cover sheet on the first page. Put the candidate numbers for all group members on the submission coversheet. The cover sheet will be provided on the Moodle page closer to the deadline.
c. You can find your Candidate Number (SCN) in your PORTICO account, under “My Studies” then the “Examinations” container.
d. Note that the Candidate Number is NOT the same as your student number, which is printed on your UCL ID card. Submitting with your Student Number will delay marking and when your results will be available.
e. When you upload your file on the submissions page, set the title of your submission as your group number followed by an underscore (i.e. ‘_ ’), followed by your word count, e.g.
Group1_1700words.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT
Pick a topic such as:
• Answering a policy question using Behavioural Economics concepts (at least 3).
• Explaining a real-world/empirical phenomenon by using several Behavioural Economics concepts (at least 3).
• Choose a few behavioural concepts that are interconnected and show at least 3 real- world/empirical examples and implications.
Websites that are useful to check out good blog articles on behavioural economics are:
• https://www.bi.team/
• https://www.behavioraleconomics.com/
• https://inudgeyou.com/en/frontpage/
• https://behavioralscientist.org/
Research question
Based on your choice of topic, you will set a research question and decide which concepts you will use to explain your question.
Your essay
You should submit an essay that includes the following:
• Introduction: Explain the context of the research, motivate your research and discuss why the research question is important and relevant.
• Concept 1-3+:
o Explain each concept and review existing research that is relevant to that concept and your main topic. Please use articles other than the ones covered in this module. The articles should be via reliable sources (i.e. peer-reviewed journals, reliable working- paper series such as NBER, policy papers).
o Discuss the findings of the articles you found.
o Use data visualization (e.g. charts, tables) as appropriate and cite the source.
o Discuss the solutions and limitations (if appropriate).
• Conclusion: Draw your main conclusion.
• References: See the UCL guideon how to cite your references properly. Harvard style is the recommended citation style.
Note that although this is a written assignment that is convertible to a blogpost, please follow academic writing rules.