Biological Bases of Economic Behaviour

A Concise Introduction

AvDavid McFarland

Häftad, Engelska, 2015

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Beskrivning

Human genetics has changed little over the past 20,000 years, but human economic behaviour has changed a lot. These changes are probably due to human cultural evolution. But studies of human hunter-gatherers, and of a variety of other animal species, show that their micro-economic behaviour is much the same. Whereas the standard economic analysis focuses on money, the biological approach brings time and energy into the analysis. Moreover, humans and other animals tested under laboratory conditions do not exhibit the complexity of the results of field studies. In other words, results obtained in the real world are not the same as those obtained in the laboratory. The Biological Bases of Economic Behaviour invites readers to approach micro-economics from a biological viewpoint, in a clear and introductory manner.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2015-11-30
Mått:140 x 216 x 10 mm
Vikt:182 g
Format:Häftad
Språk:Engelska
Antal sidor:122
Upplaga:2016
Förlag:Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN:9781137568083

Utforska kategorier

Mikroekonomi inom Ekonomi och Ledarskap
Nationalekonomi inom Ekonomi och Ledarskap

Mer om författaren

David McFarland studied zoology (BSc Hons) and psychology (DPhil). He researched and published in the fields of animal behaviour, philosophy, physiology, psychology and robotics. He retired in 2000, and is an Emeritus Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, UK. Since retiring, he has published seven books.

Innehållsförteckning

ContentsList Of FiguresPrefaceGlossaryPART I: THE EVOLUTION OF ECONOMIC BEHAVIOUR1.1 Evolution By Natural Selection1.1.1 Life History Strategy1.1.2 Kith And Kin1.1.3 Reciprocal Altruism1.1.4 Cultural Evolution1.1.5 Tool Use And Intelligence1.2 Human Evolution1.2.1 Recent Genetic Changes1.2.2 Human Cultural Evolution1.2.3 The Neolythic RevolutionPoints To RememberFurther ReadingEssential ReadingPART II: THE ECONOMIC BEHAVIOUR OF THE INDIVIDUAL2.1 A Biological Approach2.1.1 The Animal As An Economic Consumer2,1,2 The Supermarket Analogy2.1.3 Time And Energy Budgets In Animals2.2 Animal And Human Economics 2.2.1 Problems With Microeconomics2.2.2 Specific HungersPoints To RememberFurther ReadingEssential ReadingPART III: BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS3.1 The Experimental Situation3.1.1 The Sterile Environment3.1.2 The Captive Animal3.2 The Real World3.2.1 Animals In The Real World3.2.2 Humans In The Real World3.2.3 Hoarding And Caching3.3 The Rationality Muddle3.3.1 Rational Choice Theory3.3.2 Biological RationalityPoints To RememberFurther ReadingEssential ReadingPART IV: THE BIOLOGICAL BASES OF DECISION MAKING4.1 Decisions4.1.1 Recapitulation4.1.2 The Biological View4.1.3 Functionional Aspects Of Decision Making4.1.4 Trade-Off 4.2 'Voluntary' Decisions4.2.1 Introspection4.2.2 The Teleological Imperative4.2.3 Whither Homo Economicus?Points To RememberFurther ReadingEssential ReadingGlossaryEndnotes