Robert Sugden, FBA (born 26 August 1949) is an English author in the area of cognitive and

behavioural economics Behavioral economics studies the effects of psychological, cognitive, emotional, cultural and social factors on the decisions of individuals or institutions, such as how those decisions vary from those implied by classical economic theory. ...

. Professor Sugden's research combines

game theory Game theory is the study of mathematical models of strategic interactions among rational agents. Myerson, Roger B. (1991). ''Game Theory: Analysis of Conflict,'' Harvard University Press, p.&nbs1 Chapter-preview links, ppvii–xi It has appli ...

(mainly experimental game theory and coordination games) with moral and

political philosophy Political philosophy or political theory is the philosophical study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions and the relationships between them. Its topics include politics, l ...

. He is associated with the classical-liberal tradition of Hume,

Mill Mill may refer to: Science and technology * * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Textile mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic unit of the Analytical Engine early ...

, and

Hayek Hayek, Hayki or AlHayki is a surname: * As a variant spelling of the Czech name Hájek, which originally meant "a grove", it commonly occurs in Czech place names. It occurs among Polish Jews in a Polish language spelling as ''Chajek''. * The fam ...

Theory

In his most cited work, Sugden explored how conventions of property, mutual aid, and voluntary supply of public goods can evolve spontaneously out of the interactions of self-interested individuals and can become moral norms. Sugden investigated a number of violations of the

von Neumann Von Neumann may refer to: * John von Neumann (1903–1957), a Hungarian American mathematician * Von Neumann family * Von Neumann (surname), a German surname * Von Neumann (crater), a lunar impact crater See also

* Von Neumann algebra * Von Ne ...

and Morgenstern's

expected utility The expected utility hypothesis is a popular concept in economics that serves as a reference guide for decisions when the payoff is uncertain. The theory recommends which option rational individuals should choose in a complex situation, based on the ...

axioms, and developed regret theory as an alternative with

Graham Loomes Graham Loomes, (born 5 August 1950) is a British economist and academic, specialising in behavioural economics. Since 2009, he has been Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science at the University of Warwick. He previously worked at the Un ...

. In support of this work, he developed a number of experimental methods to test theories of decision under risk. His work also deals with economic methods, in which he argues that economic models are not abstractions from, or simplifications of, the real world, but rather descriptions of imaginary worlds whose validity can only be inferred by how reasonable their predictions are. In ''The Community of Advantage'', Sugden develops a contractarian approach to welfare economics that is based on opportunity sets and not individual preferences. The shift from preferences to opportunity is partly motivated by recent experimental work indicating that individuals lack well-defined preferences. In 2019, ''The Community of Advantage'' was awarded the Joseph B. Gittler Award for outstanding contribution in the field of the philosophy of the social sciences.

Awards and fellowships

* Leverhulme Personal Research Professorship,

Leverhulme Trust The Leverhulme Trust () is a large national grant-making organisation in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1925 under the will of the 1st Viscount Leverhulme (1851–1925), with the instruction that its resources should be used to suppo ...

, February 1998 – January 2003

Selected papers

* G Loomes and R Sugden
Regret theory: An alternative theory of rational choice under uncertainty
(1982), ''The Economic Journal'' * R Sugden
Spontaneous order
(1989), ''The Journal of Economic Perspectives'' * R Sugden
Reciprocity: the supply of public goods through voluntary contributions
(1984), ''The Economic Journal'' * R Sugden
A theory of focal points
(1995), ''The Economic Journal'' * R Sugden
Credible worlds: the status of theoretical models in economics
(2000), ''Journal of Economic Methodology''

Selected books

* R Sugden and AH Williams
''The principles of practical cost-benefit analysis''
(1978) * R Sugden
''The economics of rights, co-operation, and welfare''
(1986) * R Sugden
''The community of advantage: A behavioural economist's defense of the market''
(2018)

References

External links

UEA faculty page

ISI Highly Cited Page

Review by Nicolai J. Foss

Google Scholar Citations
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sugden, Robert 1949 births Living people Alumni of the University of York Academics of the University of East Anglia British economists