Behavioural Sociology
A.Y. 2023/2024
Learning objectives
The course introduces students to behavioural sociology, with a particular focus on the use of experimental methods to examine social behaviour. It will present an approach that integrates social psychology, behavioural sciences and sociology to understand social behaviour in complex interaction settings
Expected learning outcomes
By attending this module, students will familiarize with experimental methods and learn how to use them to understand social behaviour. They will learn how to develop counterfactual and implication analysis and apply inquisitive thinking to the analysis of social behaviour in a variety of contexts, e.g., social media, groups and organisations
Lesson period: Third trimester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Third trimester
Course syllabus
The course provides foundations and methods for experimental analysis of social behaviour. It follows a multi-disciplinary approach, with a special focus on social evolution. Concepts, theories and findings from behavioural sciences and evolutionary psychology will be used as a basis for the undertanding of social behaviour.
Prerequisites for admission
No prerequisite
Teaching methods
Lectures, real-time class experiments and hands-on exercise (at individual and group level) with simulation software
Teaching Resources
*All papers/chapters/materials will be made available on ARIEL*
Peter M. Blau (1964) Exchange and Power in Social Life, Chapter 4 "Social Exchange", Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, pp. 87-114.
Riccardo Boero, Giangiacomo Bravo, Marco Castellani and Flaminio Squazzoni (2009) Reputational cues in repeated trust games, Journal of Socio-Economics, 38, 871-77.
Giangiacomo Bravo, Flaminio Squazzoni and Karoly Takacs (2015) Intermediaries in trust: Indirect reciprocity, incentives and norms, Journal of Applied Mathematics, doi:10.1155/2015/234528
Richard Breen (2009) Game Theory. In P. Hedstrom & P. Bearman (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Analytical Sociology. Oxford University Press, Chapter 26, 619-638.
Nan Dirk de Graaf & Dingeman Wiertz (2019) Societal Problems as Public Bads, Chapter 2 "Analytical Framework", Routledge, London, pp. 24-48.
Jon Elster (2015) Explaining Social Behavior. More Nuts and Bolts for the Social Sciences, Chapter 1 "Explanation", Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 3-22
Ernst Fehr & Herbert Gintis (2007) Human Motivation and Social Cooperation: Experimental and Analytical Foundations. Annual Review of Sociology, 33, pp. 43-64
Francesca Giardini & Rafael Wittek (2019) Gossip, Reputation and Sustainable Cooperation: Sociological Foundations. In F. Giardini & R. Wittek (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Gossip and Reputation. Oxford University Press, Chapter 2, 23-46.
Mark Granovetter (1978) Threshold Models of Collective Behavior. American Journal of Sociology, 83(6), 1420-1443.
Joshua Greene (2013) Moral Tribes. Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us and Them, Chapter 4 "Trolleyology" and part of Chapter 5 "Efficiency, Flexibility, and the Dual-Process Brain", Atlantic Books, London, pp. 105-141.
Joseph Henrich et al. (2005) "Economic Man" in Cross-Cultural Perspective: Behavioural Experiments in 15 Small-Scale Societies. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 28(6), 795-815.
George C. Homans (1969) The Sociological Relevance of Behaviorism. In R. L. Burgess & D. Bushell Jr. (Eds.), Behavioral Sociology. The Experimental Analysis of Social Process, Columbia University Press, New York, pp. 1-24.
Charles Roddie (2019) Reputation and Gossip in Game Theory. In F. Giardini & R. Wittek (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Gossip and Reputation. Oxford University Press, Chapter 12, 214-229.
Matthew J Salganik & Duncan J. Watts (2009) Social Influence. The Puzzling Nature of Success in Cultural Markets. In P. Hedstrom & P. Bearman (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Analytical Sociology. Oxford University Press, Chapter 14, 315-341.
Robert Sapolsky (2017) Behave. The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, Chapter 11 "Us Versus Them", Atlantic Books, London, pp. 387-424.
Thomas Schelling (1971) Dynamic Models of Segregation. Journal of Mathematical Sociology, 1, 143-186.
John F. Stolte, Gary Alan Fine & Karen S. Cook (2001) Sociological Miniaturism: Seeing the Big Through the Small in Social Psychology. Annual Review of Sociology, 27, pp. 387-413.
Nan Dirk de Graaf & Dingeman Wiertz (2019) Societal Problems as Public Bads, Chapter 2 "Analytical Framework", Routledge, London, pp. 24-48.
Duncan J. Watts & Peter Dodds (2009) Threshold Models of Social Influence. In P. Hedstrom & P. Bearman (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Analytical Sociology. Oxford University Press, Chapter 20, 475-497
Matthew Salganik (2017) Running experiments. Chap 4. Bit by Byt. Social Research in the Digital Age. Princeton University Press.
Peter M. Blau (1964) Exchange and Power in Social Life, Chapter 4 "Social Exchange", Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, pp. 87-114.
Riccardo Boero, Giangiacomo Bravo, Marco Castellani and Flaminio Squazzoni (2009) Reputational cues in repeated trust games, Journal of Socio-Economics, 38, 871-77.
Giangiacomo Bravo, Flaminio Squazzoni and Karoly Takacs (2015) Intermediaries in trust: Indirect reciprocity, incentives and norms, Journal of Applied Mathematics, doi:10.1155/2015/234528
Richard Breen (2009) Game Theory. In P. Hedstrom & P. Bearman (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Analytical Sociology. Oxford University Press, Chapter 26, 619-638.
Nan Dirk de Graaf & Dingeman Wiertz (2019) Societal Problems as Public Bads, Chapter 2 "Analytical Framework", Routledge, London, pp. 24-48.
Jon Elster (2015) Explaining Social Behavior. More Nuts and Bolts for the Social Sciences, Chapter 1 "Explanation", Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 3-22
Ernst Fehr & Herbert Gintis (2007) Human Motivation and Social Cooperation: Experimental and Analytical Foundations. Annual Review of Sociology, 33, pp. 43-64
Francesca Giardini & Rafael Wittek (2019) Gossip, Reputation and Sustainable Cooperation: Sociological Foundations. In F. Giardini & R. Wittek (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Gossip and Reputation. Oxford University Press, Chapter 2, 23-46.
Mark Granovetter (1978) Threshold Models of Collective Behavior. American Journal of Sociology, 83(6), 1420-1443.
Joshua Greene (2013) Moral Tribes. Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us and Them, Chapter 4 "Trolleyology" and part of Chapter 5 "Efficiency, Flexibility, and the Dual-Process Brain", Atlantic Books, London, pp. 105-141.
Joseph Henrich et al. (2005) "Economic Man" in Cross-Cultural Perspective: Behavioural Experiments in 15 Small-Scale Societies. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 28(6), 795-815.
George C. Homans (1969) The Sociological Relevance of Behaviorism. In R. L. Burgess & D. Bushell Jr. (Eds.), Behavioral Sociology. The Experimental Analysis of Social Process, Columbia University Press, New York, pp. 1-24.
Charles Roddie (2019) Reputation and Gossip in Game Theory. In F. Giardini & R. Wittek (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Gossip and Reputation. Oxford University Press, Chapter 12, 214-229.
Matthew J Salganik & Duncan J. Watts (2009) Social Influence. The Puzzling Nature of Success in Cultural Markets. In P. Hedstrom & P. Bearman (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Analytical Sociology. Oxford University Press, Chapter 14, 315-341.
Robert Sapolsky (2017) Behave. The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, Chapter 11 "Us Versus Them", Atlantic Books, London, pp. 387-424.
Thomas Schelling (1971) Dynamic Models of Segregation. Journal of Mathematical Sociology, 1, 143-186.
John F. Stolte, Gary Alan Fine & Karen S. Cook (2001) Sociological Miniaturism: Seeing the Big Through the Small in Social Psychology. Annual Review of Sociology, 27, pp. 387-413.
Nan Dirk de Graaf & Dingeman Wiertz (2019) Societal Problems as Public Bads, Chapter 2 "Analytical Framework", Routledge, London, pp. 24-48.
Duncan J. Watts & Peter Dodds (2009) Threshold Models of Social Influence. In P. Hedstrom & P. Bearman (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Analytical Sociology. Oxford University Press, Chapter 20, 475-497
Matthew Salganik (2017) Running experiments. Chap 4. Bit by Byt. Social Research in the Digital Age. Princeton University Press.
Assessment methods and Criteria
Written test with 10 multiple choice questions (2/30 points each correct answer) and 2 questions with open answer (max 5/30 points each answer)
Professor(s)