Variational rationality: Finding the inequations of motion of a person seeking to meet his needs

Antoine Soubeyran

No 2309, AMSE Working Papers from Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France

Abstract: As physics provides the equations of motion of a body, this paper formulates, for the first time, at the conceptual and mathematical levels, the inequations of motion of an individual seeking to meet his needs and quasi needs in an adaptive (not myopic) way. Successful (failed) dynamics perform a succession of moves, which are, at once, satisficing and worthwhile (free from too many sacrifices), or not. They approach or reach desires (fall in traps). They balance the desired speed of approach to a desired end (a distal promotion goal) with the size of the required immediate sacrifices to go fast (a proximal prevention goal). Therefore, each period, need/quasi need satisfaction success requires enough self control to be able to make, in the long run, sufficient progress in need/quasi need satisfaction without enduring, in the short run, too big sacrifices. A simple example (lose or gain weight) shows that the size of successful moves must be not too small and not too long. A second paper will solve this problem, using variational principles and inexact optimizing algorithms in mathematics. This strong multidisciplinary perspective refers to a recent mathematical model to psychology: the variational rationality theory of human life stay and change dynamics.

Keywords: need satisfaction; speed of progress; sacrifices; dynamical system; variational rationality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 39 pages
Date: 2023-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hme
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Working Paper: Variational rationality: Finding the inequations of motion of a person seeking to meet his needs (2022)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aim:wpaimx:2309

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