Skip to main content

Psychology Lecture:'Dopamine, Reward Prediction Error and Economics'

The Connecticut College psychology department presents "Dopamine, Reward Prediction Error and Economics," a lecture by Mark Dean, assistant professor of economics at Brown University, on Monday, March 28, at 4:30 p.m. in Silfen Auditorium, Bill Hall. Dean, who once worked as an economist for the Bank of England, now conducts research in the field of neuroeconomics, in which brain activity is studied in order to learn more about what drives people to make certain economic decisions. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), he observes the brain activity of subjects as they carry out simple economic tasks. In his research, Dean measures levels of dopamine - a neurotransmitter that affects the brain's ability to experience pleasure and pain - and studied its relationship to expected and realized rewards. This forms the basis of his talk, which is part of the psychology department's Spring 2011 Colloquium Series. The event is free and open to the public.



March 18, 2011