tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post2179042708924749995..comments2024-03-14T11:09:32.759-05:00Comments on Falkenblog: Psychologists to the Rescue!Eric Falkensteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07243687157322033496noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post-83957951802833237722009-07-26T15:41:44.225-05:002009-07-26T15:41:44.225-05:00Yes, behavioral econ can look like "it all de...Yes, behavioral econ can look like "it all depends" from the outside. I do think they know some things about which biases happen when, but mostly about the lab; it is much harder to map that into which biases go which way in the field.Robin Hansonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18396528456436940972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post-8727067298009797152009-07-18T05:41:59.705-05:002009-07-18T05:41:59.705-05:00Anonymous 12:37
re: question of utility
If that ...Anonymous 12:37<br /><br />re: question of utility<br /><br />If that is indeed the point of this comment on Kahnemann, psychiatry and psychology in general, then it raises the questions:<br /><br />What are you aiming to do? <br /><br />How intelligent are you?<br /><br />Once we know what you're after, and your level of ability to use information, then we can assess and opine how useful something may be to you.<br /><br />I think the fact that someone reads a study that clearly focuses on individual human behaviour and then attempts to extrapolate the findings to something non-human, an abstraction such as "a market", says a great deal about their ability to interpret and use information.<br />Not to mention paying so much attention to what is written in the popular media, as if it will bring "useful" information.<br /><br />I've never tried to apply economics to explain or predict human behaviour, and I never will.<br /><br />I simply do not understand the pessimism of economics. Of course I could say economics is continually "unsuccessful". All I have to do is be upset about the way things are, no matter what they are, and say, "See, it failed. Again."<br /><br />Brilliant.<br /><br />Maybe the real reason economists keep looking to psychology is the hope it will cure their pessimistic views. In the long run, they just can't get happy.<br /><br /><br /><br />Again, answer the simple question "What are you aiming to do?" and then we'll talk about usefulness.<br /><br />Meanwhile, take a tip from psychology, get happy and stop complaining.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post-2185920286126869292009-07-17T10:53:51.760-05:002009-07-17T10:53:51.760-05:00Hi, do you have an email address or any way to get...Hi, do you have an email address or any way to get in contact with you? My email's ilene@philstockworld.com - if you could send me an email, I'd have it. Thanks! Ileneilenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00859456411740769913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post-77716611992896923252009-07-17T00:39:39.264-05:002009-07-17T00:39:39.264-05:00Anonymous 11:33 said "if you don't like t...Anonymous 11:33 said "if you don't like the results these guys got, or you disagree with their conclusions"<br /><br />Anonymous 11:05 said "one is not in a position to critique experiments if one has never themselves designed one. you can't just look at the conclusion and disagree"<br /><br />True, but you can have an opinion about whether the results could potentially be useful. I think that's the point here.<br /><br />By the way, good blog Mr.Falkenstein, thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post-74490289131503322112009-07-16T23:33:04.353-05:002009-07-16T23:33:04.353-05:00we should put an economist in one of kahnemann'...we should put an economist in one of kahnemann's experiments and watch him behave just like every other human.<br /><br />oh wait, human behaviour has totally changed in 30 years, so all those studies are no longer valid.<br /><br />head over to Edge.org if you want to see some more intelligent people try to disagree with Kahnemann's work. <br />you really need to go back and read jon bargh's work to begin to understand anchoring. <br /><br />it's uncomfortable to learn some things about ourselves perhaps, but that doesn't make these things invalid. <br /><br />as for utility, were they intended to be used for anything, except to better understand our own behaviour?<br />i don't know.<br /><br />but guess who wants to use them? economists!<br />grasping for straws.<br /><br />if you don't like the results these guys got, or you disagree with their conclusions, then you have to do the experiments yourself and show that you did not get the same results. otherwise you are just wasting your breath, or keystrokes.<br /><br />do the work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7905515.post-2007144575585313722009-07-16T23:05:47.260-05:002009-07-16T23:05:47.260-05:00Who cares about the pop sci books?
Mainly, peop...Who cares about the pop sci books? <br /><br />Mainly, people who do not want to, or can't, read the studies and analyse the experiments critically.<br />With practice I believe anyone can do it. Head over to Google Scholar, or ISI Web of Science if you've got an account, and give it a go.<br /><br />I've noticed certain people are annoyed by these books:<br /><br />- other authors who are jealous <br /><br />- other potential authors who are jealous<br /> <br />- people who love science and don't like to see it watered down<br /><br />Do you even know the difference between pscyhology and psychiatry? If you don't, then you have some more reading to do before you can start intelligently comment. <br /><br />There is a hierarchy of science, outlined by Nobel physicist in the 70's:<br /><br />Physics<br />Chemistry<br />Biology<br />Social sciences<br /><br />( a very general synopsis)<br /><br />Each one inherits from the other. That is the beauty of his organisation.<br /><br />Once one gets to the level of social sciences things start to get murky. <br /><br />People do not normally challenge the finding of experimental biology, chemistry or physics however, UNLESS they know something about the subject. <br /><br />If one knows noting about experimetal chemistry and biology, one is not in a position to evaluate the safety and efficacy of psychiatric drugs. do you want an economist doing this work at the FDA? there is already enough economics involved before it even gets to the FDA.<br /><br />and with respect to experimental psychology, one is not in a position to critique experiments if one has never themselves designed one. you can't just look at the conclusion and disagree. the conclusion is the leats important aspect of the paper. you have to support your argument by looking at the methods and the data.<br /><br />it seems to me that economists may think that by just saying something negative about various things, they will apppear intelligent. or at least, not stupid. <br />or maybe they are truly just very pessimistic about all things. <br /><br />but is this is any better than the person with the proverbial rose colored glasses? the economist's glasses are charcoal black. everything looks unsuccessful, even those things the economist cannot hope to understand, because he keeps away from experiments., and retreats to pure theory.<br /><br />and economics is billed as a "way to get the most out of life"?<br /><br />how? by looking at each and every action and criticising it? even those outside one's field of expertise?<br /><br />the way to get the most out of life is to take risks. i'm sure any economist would agree. <br />when you do experiments you risk being wrong, unlike with pure theory.<br />moreover, you have to attempt to figure out what results mean, even if they were not as expected. this is no easy task.<br /><br />you think designing experiments is easy?<br /><br />i applaud kahnemann for taking risks. he has put his theories to test and whatever credit he gets he's earned it by taking those risks, by DOING THE WORK.<br /><br />there is much more to his work than just prospect theory. that was just the beginning.<br /><br />ecomomists can only thank him for doing the work they don't have the motivation or skills to do themselves.<br /><br />this post is all about jealousy.<br /><br />who cares about pop sci books?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com