Political psychology, at the most general level, is an application of what is known about human psychology to the study of politics. Leadership, regime security, and chinas policy toward. Prospect theory and political decision making wiley online library. Specifically, we derive a model from risksensitive optimal foraging theory to generate an explanation. Power and prospect theory expected utility theory originally formulated by daniel bernoulli 1954 in the 18 th century, suggests that individuals calculate risks with complete accuracy. C u m u lative representation of uncertainty a m o s t v e r s k y stanford u niversity, department o f psychology, stanford, c a 943052 d a n ie l k a h n e m a n u niversity o f california a t berkeley, department o f p sychology, berkeley, c a 94720 key w o rd s. Political psychology, international relations abstract political psychology in international relations has undergone a dramatic transformation in the past two decades, mirroring the broader changes occurring in ir itself. The lion share of decisions by political actors relating to foreign policy are. Political psychology is an interdisciplinary journal dedicated to the analysis of the interrelationships between psychological and political processes. The chapter also considers some opportunities for theoretical development. Prospect theory, also called lossaversion theory, psychological theory of decisionmaking under conditions of risk, which was developed by psychologists daniel kahneman and amos tversky and originally published in 1979 in econometrica.
Although international relations theorists who study security have used prospect theory extensively, americanists, comparativists, and political economists have shown little interest. Second, prospect theory itself is then discussed in detail in order to place the theory in its appropriate psychological and political context. Levy prospect theory has emerged as a leading alternative to expected utility as a theory of decision under risk and has very recently begun to attract attention in the literature on international relations. It is the founding theory of behavioral economics and of behavioral finance, and constitutes one of the first economic.
For applications of prospect theory in international relations, see farnham 1994. Ffirst, in prospect theory, people derive utility from irst, in prospect theory, people derive utility from gains and losses, measured relative measured relative tto some reference point, rather than from absolute levels of wealth. The authors take the innovative step of integrating the neoclassical realist framework in political science and prospect theory in psychology. Prospect theory download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Prospect theory has been applied to a number of cases in political science, particularly in the area of international relations, and also in the realm of comparative politics. Methodological innovations in the section political psychology.
Prospect theory is an alternative theory of choice under conditions of risk, and deviates from expected utility theory by positing that people evaluate choices with respect to gains and losses from a reference point. A lubricator valve apparatus adapted for use when running wireline tools into an offshore well during a production test of the well. Prospect theory, neuroeconomics and political choice. Prospect theory provides an augmentation to neoclassical economic utility models, and is a. The cognitive revolution and the political psychology of. Key words blame avoidance causation prospect theory welfare state reform. The article shows that there is increasing evidence that prospect theory preferences have an evolutionary origin and that these preferences extend to collective decision making. Levy1 in this essay i evaluate the potential contribution of prospect theory to our understanding of international relations. Article information, pdf download for prospect theory and political.
Prospect theory assumes that losses and gains are valued differently, and thus individuals make decisions based on perceived gains instead of perceived losses. It draws upon theory and research on biopsychology, neuroscience, personality, psychopathology, evolutionary psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, and intergroup relations. Theory prospect theory distinguishes two phases in the choice process. Prospect theory deviates from expectedutility theory by positing that how people frame a problem around a reference point has a critical influence on their choices and that people tend to overweight losses with respect to comparable gains, to be riskaverse with respect to gains and riskacceptant with respect to losses, and to respond to probabilities in a nonlinear manner. The field draws on diverse disciplinary sources including cultural and psychological anthropology, cognitive psychology, clinical psychology, economics, history, international relations, philosophy, political science, political. The first experiment tested hypotheses regarding the impact of prospect framing on group polarization, but these were only weakly supported. Prospect theory is a behavioral economic theory developed by daniel kahneman. Political psychology is an interdisciplinary journal dedicated to the analysis of the interrelationships. Download prospect theory or read online books in pdf, epub, tuebl, and mobi format. It addresses the latest changes in the psychological literature on risk, and tries to combine the notions of emotion and affect into risk perception and management.
Prospect theory is the most influential behavioral theory of choice in the social sciences. Available formats pdf please select a format to send. It demonstrates that people think in terms of expected utility relative to a reference point e. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise cambridge core to connect with your account. Prospect theory, a psychological theory of choice under risk, seems very.
Three experiments with undergraduate samples were conducted in an effort to clarify the advantages and limitations of prospect theory as adapted to explain political behavior. On the evolutionary origin of prospect theory preferences. Prospect theory and political decision making vis 2011. We begin by o ering a datadriven snapshot, analyzing four. Analysis of the use of prospect theory over the last three decades identifies the scope conditions that enable the predictions of rational choice and psychological theories. The implications of prospect theory for human nature and values the implications of prospect theory for human nature and values jervis, robert 20040401 00. Prospect theory has emerged as a leading alternative to expected. Their analysis suggests that political leaders are more likely to take risky actions when their vital interests and. Prospect theory, an empirically correct theory of choice under risk that deals precisely with this condition, therefore seems to have much to offer political science. This chapter discusses risk assessment and prospect theor, first defining and describing prospect theory and its contributions to literature in detail.
In international relations, the theory has been invoked to try to explain decisionmaking that involves seemingly irrational risks, such as continuing to engage in sunk costs. The reliance on hypothetical choices raises obvious questions regarding the validity of the method and the generalizability of the results. Nwogugu, towards multifactor models of decision making and risk. Last, the applicability of prospect theory to international politics is discussed, and some denitions, issues of operationalization, and a brief. The valve includes a valve body having a central flow passage and a ball valve element for opening and closing the passage, hydraulically operable means responsive to surfacecontrolled pressure for opening and closing the ball valve, latch means for releasably. Prospect theory scholars have identified important human decisionmaking biases, but they have been conspicuously silent on the question of the origin of these biases. Journal of theoretical politics vu research portal vrije. Department of political science, major in politics, philosophy and economics chair of behavioral psychology and economics prospect theory, neuroeconomics and political choice decision making theories for international politics. Their analysis suggests that political leaders are more likely to take risky actions when their vital interests and political legitimacy are seriously threatened. As a 10yearold, he wrote his first essay on the psychology of religion the authors secret. Prospect theory is a behavioral model that shows how people decide between alternatives that involve risk and uncertainty e.
Risk is a central feature of political decision making. Conclusions 165 notes 187 bibliography 225 index 233 front. In this paper, i argue that insights from prospect theory a descriptively correct, psychological theory of choice under risk can help to explain what drives. Last, the applicability of prospect theory to international politics is discussed, and. Prospect theory and foreign policy analysis in the asia. This article addresses these questions by discussing some advances in evolutionary biology, behavioural economics, psychology, neuro. These scope conditions motivate the focus on the heterogeneity of decision. Theoretical applications and analytical problems jack s.
Prospect theory and political decision making barbara. Doesnt like his bestselling book thinking fast, thinking slow attitude. Applications of prospect theory to political science springerlink. Prospect theory teaches us that political actors will only undertake risky reforms if. Behavioral models typically integrate insights from psychology.
Prospect theory involves two phases in the decision making process. Prospect theory and political decision making barbara vis, 2011. In the framing phase, the decision maker constructs a representation of the acts, contingen. Applications of prospect theory to political science citeseerx. The implications of prospect theory for human nature and.
Here we create a model that shows preferences consistent with prospect theory may have an origin in evolutionary psychology. Applications of prospect theory to political science. Pdf studying political decisionmaking using prospect theory. The pattern of results was essentially identical to the results obtained from israeli subjects. They tend to overweight losses with respect to comparable gains and engage in riskaverse behavior with respect to gains and riskacceptant behavior with respect to losses. Studying political decisionmaking using prospect theory. The model has been imported into a number of fields and has been used to analyze various aspects of political decisionmaking, especially in international. An axiomatic analysis of cumulative prospect theory is presented in the appendix.
Behavioral economics studies the effects of psychological, cognitive, emotional, cultural and social factors on the decisions of individuals and institutions and how those decisions vary from those implied by classical economic theory behavioral economics is primarily concerned with the bounds of rationality of economic agents. Applications of framing and loss aversion, political psychology 253. Prospect theorys central finding is that individuals attitude toward risk depends on whether they face losses or gains. Other scholars also use prospect theory to complement rational deterrence theory. Most of the evidence of anomalies in expected utility is based on experimental studies in social psychology and experimental economics, but laboratory findings. Prospect theory and risk assessment oxford handbooks. His work with amos tversky, namely prospect theory, provides a way to describe how people make decisions based on psychological valuation of potential gains and losses kahneman and tversky, 1979. Its creators won a nobel prize in economics, and it is largely responsible for the booming field of behavioral economics. The microfoundations of international relations theory. A further critique of cumulative prospect theory and.