Differential weighting in choice versus advice

I’ll do this, you do that

Bibliographic Data

ID12166152
AuthorsLaura J Kray (0000-0003-3428-4454, Northwestern University), Laura Kray, Richard Gonzalez (0000-0001-6334-0430, University of Michigan, corresponding author)
Year1999
Volume12
Issue3
Pages207-218
Publication date1999-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Behavioral Decision Making (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0894-3257 • E-ISSN: 1099-0771
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/(sici)1099-0771(199909)12:3<207::aid-bdm322>3.0.co;2-p
OpenAlexW1997365507
LanguageEN
Citations received39
References cited17

We propose that when individuals make a decision for themselves they weight attributes more uniformly compared to when they give advice. In Study 1, 138 participants were given a hypothetical choice between two jobs varying on two dimensions and asked either to choose for themselves, offer advice to a best friend, or offer advice to an acquaintance. We hypothesized that respondents offering advice would favor the option with the higher value on the more important dimension. More participants in the acquaintance condition recommended the job with a higher value on the important dimension than participants making the choice for themselves. Study 2 (N=62) tested the hypothesis in a situation where the options consisted of three dimensions. One option was relatively high on two of the three dimensions and the other option was relatively high on the remaining ‘socially important’, or ‘prominent’, dimension. The uniform weighting hypothesis for self-choice predicts higher frequency of choice for the former option. Data were consistent with this prediction. Study 3 (N=170) tested the hypothesis in students' choice of major at the university. We made use of an actual event, a pending university budget cut, that would require some students to change majors. Participants either made the decision for themselves, made a recommendation to a student in their same department, or made a recommendation to a student in another department facing the analogous dilemma. Replicating the findings of the first two studies, participants offering advice to a student in another department suggested staying with their current major significantly more than participants making the choice for themselves. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Actuarial science · Advice (programming · Differential (mechanical device · Dilemma · Dimension (graph theory · Economics · Statistics · Value (mathematics · Weighting · Computer Science · Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics · Mathematics · Medicine · Psychology · Psychology of Social Influence · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub