Resources Repository
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Online LearningVideo, Teaching Resource 2010TED Talk. The Art of Choosing
In this talk, Sheena Iyengar challenges three key assumptions of the standard economic model of …
In this talk, Sheena Iyengar challenges three key assumptions of the standard economic model of choice: 1) that it is always in the individual’s best interests to choose for themselves, 2) that more choice are always better, and 3) that we should never say no to choice. In particular, she highlights differences in the way people view choice in the US and in other parts of the world. Iyengar argues that if we were to…
Decision Psychology | Preferences/Values | Child/Nutrition | Education/Labor | High School | College | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional | Critical Thinking/Analysis | Decision Making/Leadership -
Online LearningVideo, Teaching Resource 2010TED Talk. The Riddle of Experience vs. Memory
In recent years, much attention has been devoted to the study of happiness, yet Daniel …
In recent years, much attention has been devoted to the study of happiness, yet Daniel Kahneman argues that there is confusion around defining happiness or well-being. He distinguishes between the happiness of our “experiencing selves” (whether we are happy in the moment) and our “remembering selves” (whether we are happy with the state of our lives on reflection). When we make choices, therefore, our decisions may be biased toward pleasing either the experiencing or remembering…
Decision Psychology | Preferences/Values | Chronic Disease/Risk | Culture/Society | Health/Medicine | High School | College | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional | Critical Thinking/Analysis | Decision Making/Leadership -
Online LearningVideo, Teaching Resource 2008TED Talk. Are We in Control of Our Own Decisions?
The field of behavioral economics helps to explain human decision making that would be deemed …
The field of behavioral economics helps to explain human decision making that would be deemed irrational by standard economic models. Dan Ariely begins this talk by presenting visual illusions, followed by the analogy that humans face similar illusions regarding our behavior. He focuses on how setting a “default” option can substantially influence our choices, especially when decisions are complex. He illustrates his points with examples from health and other fields. Access the video. Are We in…
Decision Psychology | Business/Industry | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine | High School | College | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional | Critical Thinking/Analysis | Decision Making/Leadership -
Resource PackPublication, Teaching Resource 2024Resource Pack: Extended Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Health policies are intended to increase the uptake of effective and efficient interventions and result …
Health policies are intended to increase the uptake of effective and efficient interventions and result in health gains (e.g., premature mortality and morbidity averted). Health policies can also provide non-health benefits in addition to the sole well-being of populations and beyond the health sector. For instance, social and health insurance programs can prevent illness-related impoverishment and provide financial risk protection. Health policies can also improve the distribution of health in the population and promote health…
Priority Setting/Ethics | Costing Methods | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Social Determinants | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Culture/Society | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine | Global | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional | Critical Thinking/Analysis | Decision Making/Leadership | Quantitative Literacy -
Resource PackPublication, Teaching Resource 2021Resource Pack: Role of Heuristics in Avalanche Education
Making decisions about backcountry skiing requires one to predict, manage, and mitigate avalanche risk. Individuals …
Making decisions about backcountry skiing requires one to predict, manage, and mitigate avalanche risk. Individuals need to understand and be comfortable with the language of probability, as well as appreciate the cognitive biases that can come into play in the context of decision making. This collection includes articles that range from early attempts to identify “heuristic traps,” based on a retrospective analysis of avalanche accidents in the United States more than 20 years ago, to…
Decision Psychology | Probability/Bayes | Injuries/Accidents | Climate/Environment | Culture/Society | College | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional | Critical Thinking/Analysis | Decision Making/Leadership -
Resource PackPublication, Teaching Resource 2020Resource Pack: SSB Excise Tax Briefs (CHOICES)
Rising rates of obesity represent one of the greatest public health threats facing the United …
Rising rates of obesity represent one of the greatest public health threats facing the United States. Obesity has been linked to excess consumption of sugary drinks. Federal, state, and local governments have considered implementing excise taxes on sugary drinks to reduce consumption, reduce obesity, and provide a new source of government revenue. This resource pack includes a series of briefs describing analyses conducted by the Childhood Obesity Intervention Cost-Effectiveness Study (CHOICES), evaluating the health and economic impact…
Health Outcomes | Microsimulation | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Child/Nutrition | Chronic Disease/Risk | Social Determinants | Policy/Regulation | Business/Industry | Economics/Finance | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | North America | College | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional | Decision Making/Leadership | Policy Translation | Quantitative Literacy -
ArticlePublication 2020Premature Deaths, Statistical Lives, and Years of Life
This article clarifies some misconceptions about mortality risk and economic valuation. The mortality effects of …
This article clarifies some misconceptions about mortality risk and economic valuation. The mortality effects of exposure to environmental hazards such as air pollution are often described by the estimated number of “premature deaths” and the economic value of an exposure reduction as the number of “statistical lives saved” multiplied by the “value per statistical life.” These terms can be misleading because the number of deaths advanced by exposure cannot be determined from mortality data; it…
Preferences/Values | Health Outcomes | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Environmental Health | Policy/Regulation | College | Graduate | Critical Thinking/Analysis -
Resource PackPublication, Teaching Resource 2019Resource Pack: BCA in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
This resource pack, curated by the Center for Health Decision Science, includes methods papers, case …
This resource pack, curated by the Center for Health Decision Science, includes methods papers, case studies, and reference case guidance for conducting benefit-cost analyses in low- and middle-income countries. These resources will aid advanced students and experienced practitioners in preparing these analyses. Investing in global health and development requires making difficult choices about what initiatives to fund and what level of resources to devote to each initiative. Although benefit-cost analysis is a well-established and widely-used…
Preferences/Values | Priority Setting/Ethics | Decision Analysis | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Social Determinants | Policy/Regulation | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine | Global | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional | Critical Thinking/Analysis -
Resource PackPublication, Teaching Resource 2024Resource Pack: Introduction to Benefit-Cost Analysis
This resource pack, curated by the Center for Health Decision Science, introduces the theory and …
This resource pack, curated by the Center for Health Decision Science, introduces the theory and practice of benefit-cost analysis. It is targeted towards advanced students as well as practitioners and those interested in teaching benefit-cost analysis. Benefit-cost analysis (also referred to as cost-benefit analysis) is a well-established and widely-used form of economic evaluation. It is designed to inform policy and other decisions by providing evidence on the consequences of alternative interventions. In benefit-cost analysis, all…
Preferences/Values | Priority Setting/Ethics | Decision Analysis | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Social Determinants | Policy/Regulation | Climate/Environment | Economics/Finance | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | Global | College | Graduate | Doctoral | Professional | Critical Thinking/Analysis