The Power of Frames: Rethinking Models of Rational Decision-Making

FAIN: FT-259620-18

Jose Luis Bermudez Ospina
Texas A & M University, College Station (College Station, TX 77843-0001)

Research and writing leading to publication of a book on philosophical models of decision-making.

Should values and decisions be influenced by how we frame the outcomes we confront and the choices we have to make? The orthodox view (as found, for example, in psychology and behavioral economics) is that any such influence is fundamentally irrational. The goal of this project is a book, The Power of Frames (under contract to Cambridge University Press) in which I will argue against this orthodox view. Problems with standard ways of thinking about framing emerge when we apply insights from philosophy and related areas of the humanities. The book explores a range of cases illustrating how frame-sensitivity is an integral part of rational decision-making. I draw on examples from Greek and Shakespearean tragedy, ethical dilemmas, group identification, social coordination, and practical psychological problems such as exercising self-control in the face of temptation.

Associated Products

Frame It Again: New Tools for Rational Decision-Making (Book)
Title: Frame It Again: New Tools for Rational Decision-Making
Author: Jose Luis Bermudez
Abstract: Framing effects are everywhere. An estate tax looks very different to a death tax. Gun safety seems to be one thing and gun control another. Yet, the consensus from decision theorists, finance professionals, psychologists, and economists is that frame-dependence is completely irrational. This book challenges that view. Some of the toughest decisions we face are just clashes between different frames. It is perfectly rational to value the same thing differently in two different frames, even when the decision-maker knows that these are really two sides of the same coin. Frame It Again sheds new light on the structure of moral predicaments, the nature of self-control, and the rationality of co-operation. Framing is a powerful tool for redirecting public discussions about some of the most polarizing contemporary issues, such as gun control, abortion, and climate change. Learn effective problem-solving and decision-making to get the better of difficult dilemmas.
Year: 2020
Primary URL: https://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/psychology/cognition/frame-it-again-new-tools-rational-decision-making?format=HB
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Type: Single author monograph
ISBN: 978-110719293
Copy sent to NEH?: No

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