NEW TOPIC: Discovering another Aspie Intellectual - Award-winning Tenured Economist Tyler Cowen

[Guest guest]

Oh...Here we go again!

Tyler Cowen has become somewhat of a minor intellectual cult figure to certain members of the Asperger Association of Greater Washington. Here's a link to his paper which he uploaded to the Internet in December, 2011.

It's only somewhat readible -- not really according to my taste -- but for those of you interested in such excursions, an interesting expanded exercise on autie mentation.

Here's the abstract and article listing blurb. It's an easy PDF download.

Here's the fast link to his brief bio on Wikipedia - he's somewhat of a polymath. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_Cowen

Happy reading.

N. Meyer

*****

An Economic and Rational Choice Approach to the Autism Spectrum and Human Neurodiversity

A 37 page paper available as download from Social Science Research Network (SSRN)

Tyler Cowen Mason University - Department of Economics

December 22, 2011

GMU Working Paper in Economics No. 11-58

Abstract: This paper considers an economic approach to autistic individuals, as a window for understanding autism, as a new and growing branch of neuroeconomics (how does behavior vary with neurology?), and as a foil for better understanding non-autistics and their cognitive biases. The relevant economic predictions for autistics involve greater specialization in production and consumption, lower price elasticities of supply and demand, a higher return from choosing features of their environment, less effective use of social focal points, and higher relative returns as economic growth and specialization proceed. There is also evidence that autistics are less subject to framing effects and more rational on the receiving end of ultimatum games. Considering autistics modifies some of the standard results from economic theories of the family and the economics of discrimination. Although there are likely more than seventy million autistic individuals worldwide, the topic has been understudied by economists. An economic approach also helps us see shortcomings in the "pure disorder" models of autism.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 37

Keywords: Neuroeconomics, autism, neurodiversity, rational choice theory

JEL Classifications: A12, B41

Working Paper Series Download This Paper Date posted: December 22, 2011 Suggested Citation:

Cowen, Tyler, An Economic and Rational Choice Approach to the Autism Spectrum and Human Neurodiversity (December 22, 2011). GMU Working Paper in Economics No. 11-58. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1975809 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1975809