title: How choice ecology influences search in decisions from experience.
abstract: Research into human decision-making has often sidestepped the question of search despite its importance across a wide range of domains such as search for food, mates, allies, visual targets or information. Recently, research on decisions from experience has made progress in finding out how individual characteristics shape search for information. Surprisingly little is known, however, about how the properties of the choice ecology shape people's search. To fill this void, we analyzed how two key ecological properties influence search effort: domain of choice (gains vs. losses) and experienced variance (variance vs. no variance). Many people search longer when facing the prospect of losses relative to gains. Moreover, most people search more in options in which they experience variance relative to options they experience as invariant. We conclude that two factors that have been identified as important determinants of choice also influence search of information.
authors: Departament d'Economia de l'Empresa, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Ctra. Valldemossa Km. 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain. tomas.lejarraga@uib.eu
authors: Tomás
authors: T
authors: Lejarraga
authors: Ralph
authors: R
authors: Hertwig
authors: Cleotilde
authors: C
authors: Gonzalez
mesh_terms: D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D055669:Ecological and Environmental Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012309:Risk-Taking; D018401:Sample Size; D055815:Young Adult