Attraction comes from many sources: Attentional and comparative processes in decoy effects
The attraction effect emerges when adding a seemingly irrelevant option (decoy) to a binary choice shifts preference towards a target option. This suggests that choice behaviour is dynamic, i.e., choice values are developed during deliberation, rather than manifesting some pre-existing preference se...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Judgment and Decision Making |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.sjdm.org/19/191024a/jdm191024a.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797700713001779200 |
|---|---|
| author | Marco Marini Alessandro Ansani Fabio Paglieri |
| author_facet | Marco Marini Alessandro Ansani Fabio Paglieri |
| author_sort | Marco Marini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The attraction
effect emerges when adding a seemingly irrelevant option (decoy) to a binary
choice shifts preference towards a target option. This suggests that choice
behaviour is dynamic, i.e., choice values are developed during deliberation,
rather than manifesting some pre-existing preference set. Whereas several
models of multialternative and multiattribute decision making consider dynamic
choice processes as crucial to explain the attraction effect, empirically
investigating the exact nature of such processes requires complementing choice
output with other data. In this study, we focused on asymmetrically dominated
decoys (i.e., decoys that are clearly dominated only by the target option) to
examine the attentional and comparative processes responsible for the
attraction effect. Through an eye-tracker paradigm, we showed that the decoy
option can affect subjects’ preferences in two different and not mutually
exclusive ways: by focusing the attention on the salient option and the
dominance attribute, and by increasing comparisons with the choice dominant
pattern. Although conceptually and procedurally distinct, both pathways for
decoy effects produce an increase in preferences for the target option, in line
with attentional and dynamic models of decision making. Eye-tracking data
provide further details to the verification of such models, by highlighting the
context-dependent nature of attention and the development of similarity-driven
competitive decisional processes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:25:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-223ae70fd81a44b38dbac1b43a203aff |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1930-2975 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:25:38Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Judgment and Decision Making |
| spelling | doaj.art-223ae70fd81a44b38dbac1b43a203aff2023-09-03T10:21:31ZengCambridge University PressJudgment and Decision Making1930-29752020-09-01155704726Attraction comes from many sources: Attentional and comparative processes in decoy effectsMarco MariniAlessandro AnsaniFabio PaglieriThe attraction effect emerges when adding a seemingly irrelevant option (decoy) to a binary choice shifts preference towards a target option. This suggests that choice behaviour is dynamic, i.e., choice values are developed during deliberation, rather than manifesting some pre-existing preference set. Whereas several models of multialternative and multiattribute decision making consider dynamic choice processes as crucial to explain the attraction effect, empirically investigating the exact nature of such processes requires complementing choice output with other data. In this study, we focused on asymmetrically dominated decoys (i.e., decoys that are clearly dominated only by the target option) to examine the attentional and comparative processes responsible for the attraction effect. Through an eye-tracker paradigm, we showed that the decoy option can affect subjects’ preferences in two different and not mutually exclusive ways: by focusing the attention on the salient option and the dominance attribute, and by increasing comparisons with the choice dominant pattern. Although conceptually and procedurally distinct, both pathways for decoy effects produce an increase in preferences for the target option, in line with attentional and dynamic models of decision making. Eye-tracking data provide further details to the verification of such models, by highlighting the context-dependent nature of attention and the development of similarity-driven competitive decisional processes.http://journal.sjdm.org/19/191024a/jdm191024a.pdfattraction effect decoy effect context effects attention decision making eye-trackingnakeywords |
| spellingShingle | Marco Marini Alessandro Ansani Fabio Paglieri Attraction comes from many sources: Attentional and comparative processes in decoy effects Judgment and Decision Making attraction effect decoy effect context effects attention decision making eye-trackingnakeywords |
| title | Attraction comes
from many sources: Attentional and comparative processes in decoy
effects |
| title_full | Attraction comes
from many sources: Attentional and comparative processes in decoy
effects |
| title_fullStr | Attraction comes
from many sources: Attentional and comparative processes in decoy
effects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Attraction comes
from many sources: Attentional and comparative processes in decoy
effects |
| title_short | Attraction comes
from many sources: Attentional and comparative processes in decoy
effects |
| title_sort | attraction comes from many sources attentional and comparative processes in decoy effects |
| topic | attraction effect decoy effect context effects attention decision making eye-trackingnakeywords |
| url | http://journal.sjdm.org/19/191024a/jdm191024a.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marcomarini attractioncomesfrommanysourcesattentionalandcomparativeprocessesindecoyeffects AT alessandroansani attractioncomesfrommanysourcesattentionalandcomparativeprocessesindecoyeffects AT fabiopaglieri attractioncomesfrommanysourcesattentionalandcomparativeprocessesindecoyeffects |