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MIT 11.478 Spring 2016
Behavior and Policy: Connections in Transportation TR 9:30-11:00, MIT 10-401, Prof. Jinhua Zhao
This course examines the behavioral foundation for transportation system and policy
design, including four aspects:
sensing travel behavior with new data technology and measurement instruments
understanding travel by incorporating behavioral economics and data analytics
nudging travel behavior through preference shaping and demand management
regulating travel by developing behavior-sensitive transport policies
We introduce multiple frameworks of explaining travel behavior, rational or irrational,
contrasting the perspectives of classic economic theory with behavioral economics and
social psychology, and suggest corresponding policy interventions: a behavior-- theory--
policy mapping. Then we present a spectrum of ten instruments for positively influencing
behavior and improving welfare: from manipulating information and changing perceptions
of time and space, to pricing and framing, to inducing emotions of pride and shame, and
exploiting peer pressure or enhancing self-control and motivation.
Most importantly the course challenges students to critique, design, implement and
interpret experiments that nudge travel behavior; and to bring behavioral insights to
creative design of transport policies, programs and systems—making them not only
efficient and equitable but also simpler, consistent, transparent, acceptable, and adaptive
to behavioral changes.
Logistics
TR 9:30-11:00; 10-401; Credits: 3-0-9
Instructor: Jinhua Zhao [email protected]; Office 9-523, Office Hour: W 2:00-3:30;
Assistant: Phil Sunde, 9-316, [email protected]
TA: Joanna Moody [email protected]
TA: Tim Scully [email protected]
Public: http://dusp.mit.edu/behavior-and-policy
Stellar: http://stellar.mit.edu/S/course/11/sp16/11.478
Readings
The full reading list is here. All readings will be posted at Stellar.
Recommended Books
Daniel Kahneman (2011) Thinking, Fast and Slow
Richard Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein (2008) Nudge: Improving Decisions About
Health, Wealth, and Happiness
Eldar Shafir (2013) The Behavioral Foundations of Public Policy
Elinor Ostrom (1990) Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for
Collective Action
Steven Pinker (2003). The blank slate: The modern denial of human nature
Dan Ariely (2008) Predictably Irrational
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Schedule Date Topics Out In
Part I BP In a Nutshell
Feb 02 “Unreturned Trays” in Transportation 1
Feb 04 Instruments for Changing Behavior
Feb 09 Explicit, Implicit and Neuroscience Measures 2 1
Feb 11 Behavior Foundation of Public Policy
Part II Behavioral Theory: from Simon to Kahneman
Feb 18 Choice Architecture: Nudges and Nudging 3 2
Feb 23 Prospect Theory
Feb 25 Maps of Bounded Rationality
Mar 01 Artificial Intelligence (Prof. Patrick Winston) 4 3
Part III Time, Space and Information
Mar 03 ReInterpreting Time: Dali and Einstein
Mar 08 Power of Information and Nudging with Maps
Mar 10 Debate: Behavioral Aspects of Autonomous Vehicles 5 4
Part IV Policy Design One
Mar 15 Salience in Transportation Pricing Idea
Mar 17 Managing Cars in MegaCities 6 5
Mar 29 Travel Demand Management in Public Transit
Part V Emotion Travel
Mar 31 Happiness: experience and memory Proposal
Apr 05 Transport and Emotion: Contribution of Neuroscience
Apr 07 CrossCultural Comparison of Car Pride 6
Part VI Is Travel Social?
Apr 12 Sociology of Transportation
Apr 14 Transport Network Companies
Apr 21 Preference of Mobility Sharing Interim
Part VII Policy Design Two
Apr 26 Market Failure and Governing the Common
Apr 28 Clearinghouse for Urban Mobility Service
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May 03 Collective Phenomena in Complex Networks (Prof. Ali Jadbabaie)
May 05 Positive Utility of Travel Time (Prof. Pat Mokhtarian)
Part VIII Course summary
May 10 Two Selves, Two species and Two Systems Full
May 12 The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature
May 17 Student Project Showcase (12:002:00, lunch served) Revised
Student Expectations
Items %
Class Participation and InClass Idea Notes 25%
Problem Sets 5%, 5%, 5%, 5%, 5%, 10%
35%
Team Project (Idea 1%; Proposal 4% Interim 5%; Full 20%; Revised 10%)
40%
Part 1. Class Participation and InClass Idea Notes Active class participation is THE ESSENTIAL part of the course. Please complete the readings before each class. I persist in encouraging everyone to be part of the dialogue.
Capture the moment: I hope that some parts of each class inspire you to think and like you to capture these moments. At the end of each class I allocate 5 minute for everyone to write or draw a halfpage idea note reflecting on the dialogue that you just participate in. Literally you may write or draw anything you like and everyone gets the full score as long as you submit it (one point per class). A few thoughts on what you may write (don’t feel constrained by them):
What does the talk inspire you to think? Either as a practitioner, as a researcher, as a citizen, or as a decision maker
Any personal experience related to the discussion today? Did the dialogue today change any of your prior notions of human behavior? How so? How does the lecture connect to any of your research, other courses, public events, or
transportation planning or policy debates? Do you learn any new data source or data collection method that might be of use for
your future work? Anything you’ve learned as research design to whatever depths one class can offer? Any ideas for your term project topics?
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Part 2. Six Problem Sets
1. Tell a story: “Unreturned Trays” in Transportation 2. Experiment with a new method: IAT Survey Design and Implementation 3. Prospect Theory or Nudge Design (either a or b)
a. Prospect Theory b. A Nudge Design
4. Join a debate: Behavioral Aspects of Autonomous Vehicles 5. Mathematize a Concept or Theorize an Idea (either a or b)
a. Mathematize a Behavioral Concept: Salience and Congestion Charging b. Develop a Theoretical Idea: Behavioral Interpretation of a Planning Idea
6. Envision a new mobility paradigm (any one of the following) a. Cap and Trade: Green Travel Budget b. Congestion Pricing 2.0: the first best pricing with comprehensive sensing c. Mobility as a Service: embedding AV, TNC and Transit d. Peak Hour Crowding: full price discrimination possibility and concerns
Notes: 1. We encourage group work but individual submissions are required; please write down
your collaborators’ names. 2. Please submit a hard copy to the TAs at the beginning of lecture as well as submit an
electronic copy online at Stellar. 3. Late policy: Late assignments will receive a 20% deduction per day up to two days.
After 2 days, late assignments will not be accepted and a 0 will be given.
Part 3. Team Project Students deliver the project as a team. Each team will have two to three students including at least one engineer and one planner. The team will determine the project topics collectively with the guide of the instructor. We’ll distribute the Term Paper Guide with detailed instruction and clear expectations.
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