The Psychology of Business

Scholars and practitioners in the field of economics make assumptions about the decision-making processes of consumers, expertly identifying the key drivers and then confidently mapping the route from cause to effect.

What really happens inside the mind of the consumer? Given perfect information, will the perfectly rational decision always emerge? Or is there something else in play here?

In this online class, Peter Ubel – Professor of Business, Policy and Medicine at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, shares his insights into the complexities of consumer behavior: its quirks, biases and the mind games to which it is susceptible.

Throughout the class, Professor Ubel examines obesity to provide a concrete example of consumer rationale surrounding health and financial decisions.

Peter Ubel is a physician and behavioral scientist.  His research and writing explores the quirks in human nature that influence our lives — the mixture of rational and irrational forces that affect our health, our happiness and the way our society functions.

He is also the Dennis T. McLawhorn University Professor of Business, Public Policy and Medicine at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and has been a Visiting Professor at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago, and the University of Toronto, among others.  He holds a BA in Philosophy from Carleton College and an MD from the University of Minnesota.