
Contents
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Simon’s Question Simon’s Question
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Process Models Versus As-If Models Process Models Versus As-If Models
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Problems That Are Feasible Versus Not Feasible for Optimization Problems That Are Feasible Versus Not Feasible for Optimization
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How to Respond to Simon’s Question? How to Respond to Simon’s Question?
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Ecological Rationality: The Normative Extension of Simon’s Question Ecological Rationality: The Normative Extension of Simon’s Question
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Methodological Approaches to Ecological Rationality Methodological Approaches to Ecological Rationality
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Three Illustrations Three Illustrations
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Ecological Rationality and Bounded Rationality Ecological Rationality and Bounded Rationality
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Rationality for Mortals Rationality for Mortals
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19 Ecological Rationality: The Normative Study of Heuristics
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Published:March 2012
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Abstract
Logic and probability theory have been the traditional arbiters of the normative question of how to make good decisions, while psychology has been relegated to studying the descriptive question of how people do make decisions. This chapter argues instead for the normative study of heuristics in terms of their ecological rationality—their fit to particular environments—alongside the descriptive study of the mind’s adaptive toolbox of decision mechanisms in terms of process models rather than as-if optimizing models. In most real-world problems, optimization, the traditional normative standard, is not possible or feasible, so agents must choose a decision tool that will do well enough in the current environment compared to other available tools—satisficing, rather than optimizing. The study of heuristics can be normative through answering questions about what particular heuristic one should use to succeed in a given environment by exploiting the information structure available there.
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