Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/57556
Year of Publication: 
2011
Series/Report no.: 
Papers on Economics and Evolution No. 1120
Publisher: 
Max Planck Institute of Economics, Jena
Abstract: 
Although decision makers are often reported to have difficulties in making comparisons between multi-dimensional decision outcomes, economic theory assumes a uni-dimensional utility measure. This paper reviews evidence from behavioral and brain sciences to assess whether, and for what reasons, this assumption may be warranted. It is claimed that the decision makers' difficulties can be explained once the motivational aspects of utility (wanting) are disentangled from the experiential ones (liking) and the features of the different psychological processes involved are recognized.
Subjects: 
utility
neuroeconomics
index number problem
wanting
liking
affective forecasting
JEL: 
D87
B41
B12
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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