Elderly population in terms of behavioral economics and economic psychology

The article provides a comparative analysis of theories and methodologies of behavioral economics and economic psychology in terms of the specific features of economic activity of the elderly population. There are identified and compared the main areas of research in the paradigm of behavioral economics, proving the presence of the factor of limited rationality in the behavior of elderly people, and the studies carried out within the framework of economic psychology, which highlight economic preferences, needs and interests caused by the silver age as the main subject of research,. Attention is focused on two key, but alternative features of modern behavioral economics: orientation towards helping consumers and manipulation of consumer choice. It is shown that cognitive distortions of information in the analysis of economic situations, identified by behavioral economists, both unintentionally and in some cases even intentionally, become the basis for deceiving consumers, especially elderly people. Attention is focused on the fact that rationality and irrationality and their role in economic decisions are understood differently in economics and psychology. In psychology, a choice can be considered rational even if it contradicts economic feasibility, but meets the non-property interests of the individual. Due to this, it is argued that behavior of older people, formally considered irrational, can in some cases be assessed as rational, reflecting their specific life situation. The problem of a more qualitative and complete integration of the conceptual and methodological foundations of economic psychology and behavioral economics, as well as expansion of the methodological tools for solving the problems of protecting the elderly population from economic fraud is covered. As a tool for empirical study of victim behavior as a clearly irrational for the elderly, it is proposed to use the case method.