Workshops at the Annual Meeting
On Sunday, December 5, 2010, the EBASG will sponsor two continuing education workshops - one on expert elicitation, and one on behavioral economics - as described below.
To register for these workshops and to obtain information on other SRA workshops, please visit the SRA Annual Meeting website. The cost is $300 for one workshop, discounted to $250 per workshop if combined with any other SRA half-day workshop. However, if you pre-register before November 5, you will save $50 per workshop. Students may register for any workshop for only $50.
Workshop 1: Use of Expert Elicitation to Inform Decisionmaking (SRA WS10)
Decision makers must frequently rely on data or information that is incomplete or inadequate in one way or another. Judgment, often from experts, then plays a critical role in the interpretation and characterization of those data. But how experts are selected and how their judgments are elicited matters - and can also strongly influence the opinions obtained and the analysis on which they rely. Several approaches to eliciting expert judgments have evolved.
The workshop will cover topics ranging from expert recruitment, elicitation protocol design, different elicitation techniques (e.g., individual elicitations, Delphi method, nominal group technique, etc.) to aggregation methods for combining opinions of multiple experts. The role of expert elicitation and its limitations, problems, and risks in policy analysis will also be addressed.
The workshop will include presentation of three case studies. The first one will be from EPA on using expert elicitation to determine the relationship between mortality and exposure to fine particulates. The second is a recent FDA study that evaluated the food safety hazards and preventive controls associated with transportation and holding of food commodities through an expert elicitation. The final case study will present EPA's use of the Nominal Group Technique to rank research priorities for nano-TiO2 and nanomaterials more broadly. All three presentations will include a discussion of the expert selection process; elicitation protocol development, elicitation technique utilized, and the various issues that arose before, during, and after the elicitation process and the manner in which they were resolved.
More information is available on the workshop website.
Workshop 2: Introduction to Behavioral Economics (SRA WS15)
Behavioral economics is a large and rapidly growing field, with numerous implications for risk policy design and analysis. Within the Federal government, behaviorally-informed approaches to regulation are receiving significantly increased attention and emphasis. This workshop provides an introduction to behavioral economics for those who are particularly interested in its application to risk management, combining presentations from leading experts with opportunities for questions and discussion.
We will begin by introducing the distinction between traditional and behavioral economics, discussing how the latter challenges the assumption that individuals act rationally and make decisions that maximize their welfare. Three preeminent scholars in this field, Dr. Paul Slovic, Dr. Howard Kunreuther, and Dr. Richard Zeckhauser, will then each discuss key issues that arise in the application of this research to risk management decisions. Staff from Federal agencies will also join us for a roundtable discussion of behaviorally-informed risk management strategies in different policy areas.
Click on the names of each instructor (in blue) for more information on their background and research. The detailed workshop agenda will be posted soon. Additional information, including related reading material, will be provided in advance of the session. All registrants will receive a copy of the book, The Irrational Economist, co-edited by Paul Slovic.
Instructors
Lisa A. Robinson, Independent Consultant
Howard Kunreuther, University of Pennsylvania
Paul Slovic, Decision Research
Richard Zeckhauser, Harvard University
Amber Jessup, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Andrew Stivers, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Other speakers TBD
Final Agenda
1:00 - 1:15 Introduction and Overview: What is Behavioral Economics? (Lisa A. Robinson)
1:15 - 2:00 Psychological Foundations of Behavioral Economics (Paul Slovic)
2:00 - 2:45 Overcoming Biases for Low Probability Catastrophic Events (Howard Kunreuther)
2:45 - 3:00 Break (with refreshments)
3:00 - 4:00 Behaviorally-Informed Approaches to Risk Regulation (Amber Jessup (HHS), Andrew Stivers (FDA))
4:00 - 4:45 Behavioral Decisionmaking, Positive Policy Analysis, and Climate Change (Richard Zeckhauser)
4:45 - 5:00 Wrap-up (Lisa A. Robinson)
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