Overview
One simple explanation for why we may be motivated to apply simplifying heuristics in our decision-making is that ambiguity and complexity typically make humans uncomfortable. Attribute Substitution Theory holds that we have the tendency to simplify such complexity by unknowingly replacing the original problem or information with simplifications that allow us to more easily arrive at answers that feel correct and resolve our discomfort. Within this theory, cognitive bias can be thought of as having a significant motivation in enabling us to cope with the ambiguity and complexity of the world. At the same time, this theory suggests solutions (see below, Perspectives).
Concepts
| Name | Description | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Ambiguity Aversion | A preference for known risks over unknown risks. An ambiguity-averse individual would rather choose an alternative where the probability distribution of the outcomes is known over one where the probabilities are unknown. | [1] |
| Cognitive Dissonance | In A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance (1957), Leon Festinger proposed that human beings strive for internal psychological consistency to function mentally in the real world. A person who experiences internal inconsistency tends to become psychologically uncomfortable and is motivated to reduce the cognitive dissonance. They tend to make changes to justify the stressful behavior, either by adding new parts to the cognition causing the psychological dissonance or by avoiding circumstances and contradictory information likely to increase the magnitude of the cognitive dissonance. | [2] |
| Attribute Substitution | A psychological process thought to underlie a number of cognitive biases and perceptual illusions. It occurs when an individual has to make a judgment (of a target attribute) that is computationally complex, and instead substitutes a more easily calculated heuristic attribute. | [1] [3] |
| Affect Labeling | An implicit emotional regulation strategy that can be simply described as "putting feelings into words". Specifically, it refers to the idea that explicitly labeling one's, typically negative, emotional state results in a reduction of the conscious experience, physiological response, and/or behavior resulting from that emotional state. | [5] [6] |
Perspective
- The discomfort experienced in regard to ambiguity is still just one kind of mental discomfort. It is plausible that this mental discomfort could be reduced through "affect labeling" or simply acknowledging and semantically labeling the experience (e.g. thinking the phrase "discomfort in the context of ambiguity").
- Another perspective on this is actually from researchers of affect labeling itself who posit that ambiguity aversion may be a general basis for the efficacy of affect labeling which can be thought of as a way to reduce uncertainty in emotion [7, 8].
References & Acknowledgements
[1] Wikipedia contributors. "Ambiguity aversion." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 5 Jul. 2020. Web. 25 Jul. 2020.
[2] Wikipedia contributors. "Cognitive dissonance." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 24 Jul. 2020. Web. 25 Jul. 2020.
[3] Wikipedia contributors. "Attribute substitution." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 5 Jun. 2020. Web. 25 Jul. 2020.
[4] Newell, Benjamin R.; Lagnado, David A.; Shanks, David R. (2007). Straight choices: the psychology of decision making. Routledge. pp. 71–74. ISBN 978-1-84169-588-4.
[5] Wikipedia contributors. "Affect labeling." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 3 Jun. 2020. Web. 25 Jul. 2020.
[6] Torre JB, Lieberman MD (2018-03-20). "Putting Feelings Into Words: Affect Labeling as Implicit Emotion Regulation". Emotion Review. 10 (2): 116–124. doi:10.1177/1754073917742706. ISSN 1754-0739. S2CID 46664580.
[7] Lindquist KA, Gendron M, Satpute AB (2016). "Language and emotion: Putting words into feelings and feelings into words.". In Barrett LF, Lewis M, Haviland-Jones JM (eds.). Handbook of emotions (4th ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press. pp. 579–594.
[8] Lindquist KA, Satpute AB, Gendron M (2015). "Does language do more than communicate emotion?". Current Directions in Psychological Science. 24 (2): 99–108. doi:10.1177/0963721414553440. PMC 4428906. PMID 25983400.
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