Andrea Robbett
Office
Warner 304
Tel
(802) 443-5654
Email
arobbett@middlebury.edu
Office Hours
Tuesdays 9:00-10:30 AM; Wednesdays 1:30-3:00 PM; or by appointment

Courses Taught

Course Description

Game Theory
Game theory is general in scope and has been used to provide theoretical foundations for phenomena in most of the social and behavioral sciences. Economic examples include market organization, bargaining, and the provision of public goods. Examples from other behavioral sciences include social dilemmas and population dynamics. In this course students will learn the basics of what constitutes a game and how games are solved. (ECON 0155 and MATH 0121 required; ECON 0255 recommended) 3 hrs. lect.

Terms Taught

Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Fall 2024, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Introduction to Behavioral and Experimental Economics
This course surveys research incorporating psychological and other experimental evidence into economics. Topics will include: attitudes towards risk (e.g., prospect theory) and time (e.g., self-control); judgment and decision-making biases; fairness, altruism, and public goods contributions; bargaining and financial market anomalies; incentives (e.g., performance pay and nudges). (ECON 0255 required) 3 hrs. lect.

Terms Taught

Spring 2024

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Course Description

Research in Behavioral and Experimental Economics
In this seminar we will consider current research topics in behavioral and experimental economics. Although the theme for the course is likely to change from semester to semester, all students will design their own study, gather decision-making data, and write a research paper summarizing their main findings. (ECON 0255) 3 hrs. sem.

Terms Taught

Fall 2022

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Course Description

Individual Special Project
If you choose to pursue an area that we do not offer or go in depth in an area already covered, we recommend the Individual Special Project option. These ECON 0500 proposals MUST be passed by the entire department and are to be submitted to the chair by the first Friday of fall and spring semester, respectively. The proposals should contain a specific description of the course contents, its goals, and the mechanisms by which goals are to be realized. It should also include a bibliography. According to the College Handbook, ECON 0500 projects are a privilege open to those students with advanced preparation and superior records in their fields. A student needs to have a 3.5 or higher G.P.A. in Economics courses taken at Middlebury in order to pursue an Individual Special Project. ECON 0500 does not count towards the major or minor requirements.

Terms Taught

Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Senior Research Workshop I
In this first semester, students will design and begin their projects. Emphasis will be on designing a novel research question (while making the case for its importance) and an appropriate strategy for answering it. This requires immersion in the academic literature on the topic. General research principles and tools will be taught in class, as a group, while those specific to individual projects will be covered in one-on-one meetings. By the end of the term, students will outline their plan for completing the project, including demonstrating that it is a feasible research question for which the necessary information (e.g., data or source materials) is available or can be generated by the student (e.g., lab or other experiment). (Approval required)

Terms Taught

Winter 2021, Winter 2024

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Course Description

Senior Research Workshop II
In this second semester of the senior research workshop sequence, the focus is on the execution of the research plan developed in ECON 0701. Most instruction is now one-on-one but the workshop will still meet as a group to discuss and practice the presentation of results in various formats (seminars, poster sessions, et cetera) to the rest of the workshop and others in the college and broader communities. Feedback and critiques from such presentations will be incorporated into the project, which will culminate in a research paper in the style of an economics journal article. (ECON 0701; Approval required)

Terms Taught

Spring 2021, Spring 2024

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