Mentally perceiving how means achieve ends

Bibliographic Data

ID5722328
AuthorsWerner Güth (0000-0002-6810-6720, MPI for Research on Collective Goods, Bonn, Germany; LUISS Guido Carli, Rome, Italy), Matteo Ploner (0000-0003-2317-8402, CEEL-DEM, University of Trento, Italy, corresponding author)
Year2017
Volume29
Issue2
Pages203-225
Publication date2017-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueRationality and Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1043-4631 • E-ISSN: 1461-7358
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1043463116678114
OpenAlexW2552267242
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited16

Mental modeling ranges from pure categorization, for example, of linguistic concepts, to cognitive representation of complex decision tasks involving stochastic uncertainty and strategic interaction. In the tradition of consequentialistic bounded rationality, we assume to choose among choice alternatives by anticipating their likely implications. Such deliberation basically requires causal relationships linking own choices (means) and determinants beyond own control, such as chance events and choices by others (scenarios), to the relevant outcome variables (ends). We suggest a general framework of mental representation whose aspects are illustrated for stochastic choice and strategic interaction tasks. We also discuss how this framework can be experimentally implemented, showing how experimental research can shed light on mental modeling and-more generally-cognitive processes, in addition to eliciting the usual choice data

Bounded rationality · Categorization · Cognition · Cognitive psychology · Deliberation · Epistemology · Mathematical economics · Mental representation · Rationality · Cognitive Science and Mapping · Computer Science · Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics · Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies · Mathematics · Psychology · Social Psychology · Artificial Intelligence

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