Amelioration

Abstract

a common finding [in choice experiments] is that instead of equalizing the marginal returns per unit investment (e.g., in choice frequency, time, or money), subjects settle into stable choice patterns at which average returns are equalized; present a theory (melioration) that formalizes this pseudomaximizing search for higher average values; an experiment is described in which the majority of subjects were induced to meliorate, even though this choice pattern minimized the rate of money earnings... develop a theory of individual choice for which the distinction between choices of type A and type B is critical, and which implies that choices of type B may be reliably and predictably suboptimal, in light of the person's own preferences (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2000 APA, all rights reserved)