Rationality (Undergrad)
Syllabus
Textbook: Titelbaum, Fundamentals of Bayesian Epistemology volume 1 and volume 2. (Buy the paperbacks.)
Readings (.zip file)
Problem set 1 (original version) due Sept 27
Problem set 1 (renumbered version), Due September 27
Textbook: Titelbaum, Fundamentals of Bayesian Epistemology volume 1 and volume 2. (Buy the paperbacks.)
Readings (.zip file)
Problem set 1 (original version) due Sept 27
Problem set 1 (renumbered version), Due September 27
Lectures:
I. Rationality under uncertainty
1. (Sept 6) Gershman 2021, pp 1–6 (Handout)
2. (Sept 8) Degrees of belief, Titelbaum Ch. 1 (Handout)
3. (Sept 13) Probability, Titelbaum Ch. 2
4. (Sept 18) Conditional Probability, Titelbaum Ch. 3
5. (Sept 20) Conditionalization, Titelbaum Ch. 4
6. (Sept 25) Deference Principles, Titelbaum sections 5.1–5.3. Problem Set 1 due in class.
7. (Sept 27) Confirmation, Titelbaum Ch. 6
8. (Oct 2) Decision Theory, Titelbaum Ch. 7
II. Human (ir)rationality
9. (Oct 4) Hindsight bias, Hedden 2019. Problem Set 2 due in class.
10. (Oct 9) No class (student holiday).
11. (Oct 11) The gambler’s fallacy, Dorst blogpost (2020)
12. (Oct 16) Motivated reasoning, Mandelbaum 2019
13. (Oct 18) Motivated Ignorance, Kinney and Bright 2022
14. (Oct 23) The sunk cost fallacy, Kelly 2004
15. (Oct 25) No class. (I’m traveling.)
16. (Oct 30) Overconfidence, Dorst 2023
17. (Nov 1) Polarization, Henderson and Gebharter 2021
18. (Nov 6) Polarization, Nielsen and Stewart 2018, Part 1 (pages 1–10). Paper 1 due at 11:59pm.
19. (Nov 8) Polarization, O’Connor and Weatherall 2018
20. (Nov 13) Polarization, Kelly 2008
21. (Nov 15) Confirmation bias, Dorst 2023, sections 1–2 and Salow 2018, section 1
22. (Nov 20) Confirmation bias. Hahn and Harris 2014
23. (Nov 22) No class. (Thanksgiving)
24. (Nov 27) Selective memory, Singer et al 2019
25. (Nov 29) Selective memory, Dallmann 2017
26. (Dec 4) Selective memory, Wilson 2014
27. (Dec 6) Wishful thinking, Melnikoff and Strohminger 2023
28. (Dec 11) The explore/exploit tradeoff, Aronowitz 2021 [NEW]
29. (Dec 13) Catch-up / review. Paper 2 due at 11:59pm.
I. Rationality under uncertainty
1. (Sept 6) Gershman 2021, pp 1–6 (Handout)
2. (Sept 8) Degrees of belief, Titelbaum Ch. 1 (Handout)
3. (Sept 13) Probability, Titelbaum Ch. 2
4. (Sept 18) Conditional Probability, Titelbaum Ch. 3
5. (Sept 20) Conditionalization, Titelbaum Ch. 4
6. (Sept 25) Deference Principles, Titelbaum sections 5.1–5.3. Problem Set 1 due in class.
7. (Sept 27) Confirmation, Titelbaum Ch. 6
8. (Oct 2) Decision Theory, Titelbaum Ch. 7
II. Human (ir)rationality
9. (Oct 4) Hindsight bias, Hedden 2019. Problem Set 2 due in class.
10. (Oct 9) No class (student holiday).
11. (Oct 11) The gambler’s fallacy, Dorst blogpost (2020)
12. (Oct 16) Motivated reasoning, Mandelbaum 2019
13. (Oct 18) Motivated Ignorance, Kinney and Bright 2022
14. (Oct 23) The sunk cost fallacy, Kelly 2004
15. (Oct 25) No class. (I’m traveling.)
16. (Oct 30) Overconfidence, Dorst 2023
17. (Nov 1) Polarization, Henderson and Gebharter 2021
18. (Nov 6) Polarization, Nielsen and Stewart 2018, Part 1 (pages 1–10). Paper 1 due at 11:59pm.
19. (Nov 8) Polarization, O’Connor and Weatherall 2018
20. (Nov 13) Polarization, Kelly 2008
21. (Nov 15) Confirmation bias, Dorst 2023, sections 1–2 and Salow 2018, section 1
22. (Nov 20) Confirmation bias. Hahn and Harris 2014
23. (Nov 22) No class. (Thanksgiving)
24. (Nov 27) Selective memory, Singer et al 2019
25. (Nov 29) Selective memory, Dallmann 2017
26. (Dec 4) Selective memory, Wilson 2014
27. (Dec 6) Wishful thinking, Melnikoff and Strohminger 2023
28. (Dec 11) The explore/exploit tradeoff, Aronowitz 2021 [NEW]
29. (Dec 13) Catch-up / review. Paper 2 due at 11:59pm.