Biological Bases of Economic Behaviour

As a student, David McFarland studied zoology (BSc Hons) and psychology (DPhil). He researched and published in the fields of animal behaviour, philosophy, physiology, psychology and robotics. He retired in 2000, and is an Emeritus Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, UK. Since retiring, he has published seven books.

Contents List Of Figures Preface Glossary PART I: THE EVOLUTION OF ECONOMIC BEHAVIOUR 1.1 Evolution By Natural Selection 1.1.1 Life History Strategy 1.1.2 Kith And Kin 1.1.3 Reciprocal Altruism 1.1.4 Cultural Evolution 1.1.5 Tool Use And Intelligence 1.2 Human Evolution 1.2.1 Recent Genetic Changes 1.2.2 Human Cultural Evolution 1.2.3 The Neolythic Revolution Points To Remember Further Reading Essential Reading PART II: THE ECONOMIC BEHAVIOUR OF THE INDIVIDUAL 2.1 A Biological Approach 2.1.1 The Animal As An Economic Consumer 2,1,2 The Supermarket Analogy 2.1.3 Time And Energy Budgets In Animals 2.2 Animal And Human Economics 2.2.1 Problems With Microeconomics 2.2.2 Specific Hungers Points To Remember Further Reading Essential Reading PART III: BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS 3.1 The Experimental Situation 3.1.1 The Sterile Environment 3.1.2 The Captive Animal 3.2 The Real World 3.2.1 Animals In The Real World 3.2.2 Humans In The Real World 3.2.3 Hoarding And Caching 3.3 The Rationality Muddle 3.3.1 Rational Choice Theory 3.3.2 Biological Rationality Points To Remember Further Reading Essential Reading PART IV: THE BIOLOGICAL BASES OF DECISION MAKING 4.1 Decisions 4.1.1 Recapitulation 4.1.2 The Biological View 4.1.3 Functionional Aspects Of Decision Making 4.1.4 Trade-Off 4.2 'Voluntary' Decisions 4.2.1 Introspection 4.2.2 The Teleological Imperative 4.2.3 Whither Homo Economicus? Points To Remember Further Reading Essential Reading Glossary Endnotes