PSICOM39 - SOFT SKILLS THROUGH ECONOMIC GAMES

courses

ID:

PSICOM39

Duration (hours):

30

CFU:

SSD:

PSICOLOGIA SOCIALE

Located in:

CHIETI

Url:

Course Details:

PSYCHOLOGY/CORSO GENERICO Year: 1

Year:

2025

Course Catalogue:

https://unich.coursecatalogue.cineca.it/af/2025?co...

Date/time interval

Primo Semestre (29/09/2025 - 20/12/2025)

Course Objectives

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

describe the main soft skills and distinguish them from hard skills;

understand how cognitive and economic games can reveal and train cognitive biases, decision strategies, and social dynamics;

analyze their own behavior and that of others in simulated contexts, identifying communication, relational, and decision-making styles;

transfer the skills learned to real-life academic and professional situations, improving critical thinking, problem solving, cooperation, and conflict management.

Course Prerequisites

No specific prior knowledge is required.However, it is desirable that students have:

curiosity about behavioral and social psychology,

willingness to actively participate in group exercises,

openness to critical discussion and self-assessment.

Teaching Methods

Short interactive lectures to introduce theories and concepts (about 30% of the total hours).

Experiential workshops: cognitive games (e.g., Monty Hall, Wason), economic games (Trust Game, Ultimatum Game, Public Goods), and negotiation simulations.

Guided debriefing sessions to reflect on emotions, strategies, and observed dynamics.

Peer feedback and group discussions to stimulate critical awareness.

Use of questionnaires and mapping tools for self-analysis of soft skills.

Assessment Methods

For attending students (with at least 70% attendance), a final reflective assignment will be required: a short written report in which each student analyzes the soft skills that emerged during the course and outlines how they intend to further develop them. Together with ongoing observation during games and simulations — accompanied by formative feedback from the instructor — this assessment will account for 50% of the final grade.
Alternatively, non-attending students will take an oral exam on the reference text, which will also constitute 50% of the final grade.
Both attending and non-attending students will complete a written test, consisting of 20 multiple-choice questions and 2 short open-ended questions based on the content of the reference text. This component will weigh 50% of the final grade.

Texts

Pietroni, D., Rumiati, R. (2021). Il mediatore. Una nuova figura professionale per spegnare i conflitti. Bologna: Il Mulino.
Handouts in English related to the reference textbook will be provided.

The course explores how to enhance soft skills through economic and cognitive games, drawing on concepts from social psychology and behavioral sciences.Topics covered include:

the main cognitive and social biases that influence decisions and relationships;

the dynamics of trust, cooperation, and conflict emerging from experimental games;

the connections between these games and the transversal competences that are valuable in academic, professional, and everyday social contexts.

The course combines short theoretical lectures, practical workshops, and psychological debriefing sessions, employing a learning by doing approach that stimulates metacognitive reflection and interpersonal awareness.