Changing Choices: Why and How, If At All

摘要: The phenomenon treated in this chapter is well-known: People sometimes do not what they apparently have decided to do. For example, Beach, Campbell, and Townes (1979) developed tested a decision aid for counseling couples who were sure whether wanted (another) child. In study with 200 the subjectively expected utilities (SEUs) of both options calculated, however, informed about them. Predictions based on SEUs compared couples’ actual behavior after two years, that is, had child, expecting one, or at least tried conceive. predictions very good those whose SEU against having child was higher than favor However, relatively poor; there many “false alarms,” these despite their positive attitude. Whether basis original preference fragile, it changed due later events, directly controlled. data revealed, differences between much hit group false-alarm group. Perhaps latter less preferences therefore hesitated implement its decision.