Psychology and Behavioral Economics

Before the program Students receive a short pre-read on how the brain makes decisions, so Session 1 starts with context already in place. Week 1 - Understanding the irrational mind Session 1 | Thursday, Dec 24 Introduction to behavioral economics and how it differs from classical economics. System 1 vs System 2 thinking. Real examples from pricing, advertising, and social media. Session 2 | Friday, Dec 25 Core cognitive biases: anchoring, confirmation bias, and social proof. How these biases show up in everyday choices, from shopping to scrolling. Session 3 | Saturday, Dec 26 The psychology of money. Loss aversion, mental accounting, and framing effects. Case studies on subscription pricing, supermarket layouts, and spending habits on UPI and apps. Week 2 - From psychology to real projects Session 4 | Wednesday, Dec 30 Breakdown of real examples: how apps use streaks and notifications to keep users hooked, how checkout pages reduce cart abandonment, how public health campaigns get people to act. Students pick their own project: redesign a product screen, app flow, ad, or campaign using psychological principles. Session 5 | Friday, Jan 1 Students work on their redesign using a structured template: what behavior they want to change, which psychological principle they are using, and what they changed and why. Instructor support throughout. Session 6 | Saturday, Jan 2 Final pitches. Each student presents their before and after redesign in a 2-minute pitch, explaining the psychology behind their changes. Peer feedback. Submission guidelines for project report and certificate. After the program Students complete their project writeup, submit for publishing, and receive their certificate. They also walk away with a framework they can apply to any product, app, or campaign, spotting the psychology behind why people buy, click, or act.