The Opposite of Rational Is Not Necessarily Irrational;Using Function Analysis and FAST to Understand Decision-Making Heuristics

摘要

Does the failure to agree with a “rationale” argument make a decision-maker irrational? Psychologists, behavioral economists, and others in the field of heuristics and biases hesitate to jump to such a conclusion. Although many heuristics – decision-making rules of thumb – and the biases that result may seem to reflect “irrational” behavior, these actions may have sound roots in cognitive processes vital to an individual’s ability to cope with a complex world. Thus, even though heuristics may sometimes lead to less than optimal decisions – or even cause an individual to appear to act counter to her own interests – they cannot simply be overcome through better presentation of the “rational” argument. A more effective path to better decision-making may lie in understanding heuristics and biases, exposing their underlying roots in logical cognitive processes, and devising strategies to overcome their undesirable effects. This paper begins with the assumption that heuristics serve valid functions – an assumption that opens the door to the use of established function analysis tools. The Function Analysis System Technique or FAST is used to illustrate possible higher-level functions that heuristics and the resulting biases may serve. These analyses are then used to identify coping strategies by employing the technique fundamental to the value methodology: asking “how else?” a function might be performed