Thursday, Feb. 16 • 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.   (more info.)

Dr. Madden received his M.S. degree from the University of North Texas in 1992 and his Ph.D. degree from West Virginia University in 1995. He began his study of behavioral economics during his post-doctoral years at the University of Vermont. Dr. Madden is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Utah State University where his research is largely focused on the behavioral economics of addiction and health decision-making. Much of Dr. Madden's research in this line has focused on impulsive decision making. His early research documented extreme impulsivity in individuals addicted to illicit drugs and cigarettes. Later research revealed that impulsive decision making appeared to predict cocaine self-administration in rats. His current work is exploring the possibility of experimentally manipulating impulsivity. Can it be done? Does is affect addiction-related decision-making? Dr. Madden's second, and more recent, line of research explores behavioral economic approaches to influencing the dietary decisions made by children. These research endeavors are supported by grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the US Department of Agriculture. Dr. Madden serves on several advisory committees and is the Editor of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. He co-edited (with W. K. Bickel) Impulsivity: The Behavioral and Neurological Science of Discounting (APA Books), and is the Editor-in-Chief of the forthcoming APA Handbook of Behavior Analysis (Volumes I and II).

Meet Dr. Madden at his book signing on Thursday!

Behavioral Economics and Health Decision Making
Behavioral economists are often to be heard on the news explaining why we are in the mess we are in. In an effort to demonstrate their scientific currency, pundits on both sides of an issue appeal to behavioral economics to explain why the other side is misguided and delusional. Policy makers add behavioral economists to their stable of advisers so that they may obtain recommendations beyond what an old-fashioned economist might provide. So, what is behavioral economics? Is it more than prospect theory? Have behavior analysts contributed to this field? Does behavioral economics provide a conceptual system compatible with a behavior-analytic world view? If I understood behavioral economics, would it affect my professional practice or the choices I face on a daily basis (e.g., could I pursue a second career as a pundit)? Answers to some of these questions will be provided in this informative and entertaining talk.