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The Anatomy of Error in Decision-making of Rationally Behaving Agents from the Perspective of the Theory of Bounded Rationality: Extension for Contextual Games

Author

Listed:
  • Tomas Otahal

    (Department of Economics, Faculty of Business and Economics, Mendel University in Brno)

  • Radim Valencik

    (University of Finance and Administration)

Abstract

How can errors in decision-making by rationally behaving individuals be explained? The concepts of bounded rationality proposed by H. Simon and of imperfect information in the complex reality by F. Hayek attack the over-restrictive assumption of perfectly informed individuals or organisms in neoclassical microeconomics. Since this assumption excludes erroneous decision-making, some results must be explained by questioning the rationality assumption. In this paper, we show that erroneous decision-making of individuals and organisms is not necessarily erroneous if we look at the contextual games which individuals and organisms play in the complex reality. This helps to explain errors in the decision-making of individuals or organisms, while maintaining the assumption of rational behavior. At the same time, we show that the errors observed in the contextual analysis of games in the decision-making of individuals or organisms can only be apparent.

Suggested Citation

  • Tomas Otahal & Radim Valencik, 2012. "The Anatomy of Error in Decision-making of Rationally Behaving Agents from the Perspective of the Theory of Bounded Rationality: Extension for Contextual Games," MENDELU Working Papers in Business and Economics 2012-21, Mendel University in Brno, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:men:wpaper:21_2012
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Smith, Vernon L, 1991. "Rational Choice: The Contrast between Economics and Psychology," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(4), pages 877-897, August.
    2. Herbert A. Simon, 1955. "A Behavioral Model of Rational Choice," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 69(1), pages 99-118.
    3. Daniel Kahneman, 2003. "Maps of Bounded Rationality: Psychology for Behavioral Economics," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(5), pages 1449-1475, December.
    4. Akerlof, George A & Dickens, William T, 1982. "The Economic Consequences of Cognitive Dissonance," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 72(3), pages 307-319, June.
    5. Bryan Caplan, 2000. "Rational Irrationality: A Framework for the Neoclassical-Behavioral Debate," Eastern Economic Journal, Eastern Economic Association, vol. 26(2), pages 191-211, Spring.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bounded rationality; complex systems; contextual games; erroneous behavior; rational decision-making;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D01 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles
    • C73 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Stochastic and Dynamic Games; Evolutionary Games

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