Translating Upwards: Linking the Neural and Social Sciences via Neuroeconomics

Nature Reviews Neuroscience 2012

21 Pages Posted: 7 May 2013

See all articles by Clement Levallois

Clement Levallois

EMLYON Business School

John A. Clithero

Lundquist College of Business, University of Oregon

Paul Wouters

Leiden University - Centre for Science and Technology Studies

A. Smidts

Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM)

Scott Huettel

Duke University - Department of Psychology and Neuroscience

Date Written: November 13, 2012

Abstract

The social and neural sciences share a common interest in understanding the mechanisms that underlie human behaviour. Yet, interactions between neuroscience and social science disciplines remain strikingly narrow and tenuous. We illustrate the scope and challenges for such interactions using the paradigmatic example of neuroeconomics. Using quantitative analyses of both its scientific literature and the social networks in its intellectual community, we show that neuroeconomics now reflects a true disciplinary integration, such that research topics and scientific communities with interdisciplinary span exert greater influence on the field. However, our analyses also reveal key structural and intellectual challenges in balancing the goals of neuroscience with those of the social sciences. To address these challenges, we offer a set of prescriptive recommendations for directing future research in neuroeconomics.

Keywords: neuroeconomics, interdisciplinarity, decision making, decision neuroscience, scientometrics

JEL Classification: D87

Suggested Citation

Levallois, Clement and Clithero, John A. and Wouters, Paul and Smidts, Ale and Huettel, Scott, Translating Upwards: Linking the Neural and Social Sciences via Neuroeconomics (November 13, 2012). Nature Reviews Neuroscience 2012, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2261097

Clement Levallois (Contact Author)

EMLYON Business School ( email )

23 Avenue Guy de Collongue
Ecully, 69132
France

John A. Clithero

Lundquist College of Business, University of Oregon ( email )

Lundquist College of Business
1208 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
United States

Paul Wouters

Leiden University - Centre for Science and Technology Studies ( email )

Leiden
Netherlands

Ale Smidts

Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM) ( email )

P.O. Box 1738
3000 DR Rotterdam
Netherlands

Scott Huettel

Duke University - Department of Psychology and Neuroscience ( email )

Durham, NC 27708
United States

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