When prior knowledge overrules new evidence: Adaptive use of decision strategies and role behavioral routines

Tilmann Betsch (), Babette Brinkmann, Klaus Fiedler () and Katja Breining
Additional contact information
Tilmann Betsch: Universität Heidelberg/ Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Postal: Hauptstr. 47-51, 69117 Heidelberg
Babette Brinkmann: Universitaet Muenchen
Klaus Fiedler: Sonderforschungsbereich 504/ Universität Heidelberg, Postal: Hauptstraße 47-51, 69117 Heidelberg
Katja Breining: Universität Heidelberg, Postal: Hauptstr. 47-51, 69117 Heidelberg

No 98-16, Sonderforschungsbereich 504 Publications from Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Universität Mannheim, Sonderforschungsbereich 504, University of Mannheim

Abstract: This paper focuses on behavioral routines in adaptive decision making - an issue which has fairly been neglected to date. In two successive experiments, participants worked on recurrent, multiattribute choice problems. In the first experiment, we induced routines by relying upon the human ability to adapt to situational changes by changing decision strategies. To induce strategy change, time pressure was varied as a within factor. Payoffs were manipulated so that an adaptive change in strategy led participants to maximize choice frequency for one out of three options (routine acquisition). One group was instructed to use a limited set of strategies (expected utility, elimination by aspects, lexicographic rule), the other group received no instruction. Participants of both groups adapted successfully to time constraints, resulting in preference for the intended routine option in about 65 of the choices. After a one week time lapse, participants worked on similar problems, containing the routine option. In this second experiment payoffs favoured deviation from the routine. Results showed that choices were almost perfectly calibrated to payoffs under low time pressure. However, if time pressure increased, participants were more likely to prefer the routine option, even though strategies were still used adaptively and evidence discouraged routine selection.

Pages: 0 pages
Date: 1998-02-07
Note: Financial Support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft is gratefully acknowledged.
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
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:xrs:sfbmaa:98-16

Ordering information: This working paper can be ordered from

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Sonderforschungsbereich 504 Publications from Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Universität Mannheim Contact information at EDIRC., Sonderforschungsbereich 504, University of Mannheim
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Carsten Schmidt ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).