ECON 230

This course examines why individuals, firms, and institutions sometimes make harmful or irrational choices. Using theoretical and empirical perspectives from economics and psychology, students explore how biases, habits, and social influences shape behaviour in areas such as financial fraud, addiction, tax evasion, workplace misconduct, and deceptive business practices. The course also analyses the conditions under which markets amplify or mitigate these behaviours and evaluates the effectiveness of policy interventions designed to address them. Emphasis is placed on evidence-based analysis and a systematic assessment of the limits of standard rational-choice models.