Rasmuson Chair guest speaker Terry Burnham, Ph.D., presents 'Caveman Economics' - July 23, 2012

Monday, July 23, 10 a.m.-noon
Rasmuson Hall, Room 303

In recent decades, the behavioral school has been on the ascent. A primary cause of the behavioral ascent is the experimental evidence of deviations between actual behavior and the neoclassical prediction of behavior. While behavioral scholars have documented these "anomalies," they have made little progress explaining the origin of such behavior. This discussion proposes a biological and evolutionary foundation for the anomalies of behavioral economics by separating proximate and ultimate causation.

Terry is the author of "Mean Markets," "Lizard Brains" and the co-author of "Mean Genes." His academic research focuses on the biological and evolutionary origins of human economic behavior.

The Rasmuson Chair of Economics was created through a generous gift from the late Elmer Rasmuson to bring the University of Alaska Anchorage distinction and leadership in the study of economics and its relevance to Alaska's future. The goals of the chair are to advance economic research on topics of importance to Alaska, to advance the teaching of economics in Alaska and to advance public policy through service to the state.

For more information, visit the College of Business and Public Policy website.