Between Utility and Cognition: The Neurobiology of Relative Position

Daniel Zizzo

No 56, Economics Series Working Papers from University of Oxford, Department of Economics

Abstract: A positive correlation between relative position and the neurotransmitter serotonin exists in non-human primates, within an optimal range. This paper explores the reasons of this correlation. The main function of serotonin appears cognitive: it determines how optimally agents perceive and behave in game theoretical interactions, and this can explain the correlational finding. Among humans, within the optimal range serotonin works as a form of human capital, capable of improving the work functioning of agents who respond to serotonergic promoter treatment. Limitations of the existing evidence are also discussed.

Keywords: serotonin; relative position; categorization; human capital (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C72 C99 D10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2000-12-01
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:634d098a-e5b8-4078-9190-e57d433123f3 (text/html)

Related works:
Journal Article: Between utility and cognition: the neurobiology of relative position (2002)
Working Paper: BETWEEN UTILITY AN COGNITION: THE NEUROBIOLOGY OF RELATIVE POSITION (2000)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oxf:wpaper:56

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Economics Series Working Papers from University of Oxford, Department of Economics Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Anne Pouliquen ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).