Are emotions to blame? — The impact of non-analytical information processing on decision-making and implications for fostering sustainability

Policy advice based on a rationalist perspective to foster sustainable behaviour has approached its limits; and gaps in the established models are becoming more and more obvious. To better understand how unsustainable choices are made, and to foster sustainable decision-making, alternatives to the rationalist models of human decision-making need to be investigated. Such alternative models have already demonstrated their usefulness in other fields than ecological economics. The paper begins with a presentation of conventional models of human behaviour, as well as their advances and limitations in ecological and behavioural economics. In most of these models, the dominance of analytical thinking still prevails. I identify this as problematic given the evidence for the influence of emotion and intuition in decision-making. To offer a perspective on human behaviour that acknowledges this influence, dual-process models are presented. Established applications of these models are then used to propose four basic types of explanations for unsustainable behaviour. Based on these explanations preliminary ideas to promote sustainable decision-making are developed. These ideas are considerably different from policy implications of the established economic model.     

Austrian Economics as a Progressive Paradigm: Explaining More Complex Economic Phenomena

This article examines two major issues of Austrian economics. The first is the alleged superiority of Austrian over neoclassical economics. The second is the capacity of Austrian economics to support new theoretical research. The analysis shows that Austrian economics has the widest domain of validity for explaining economic phenomena. It is also shown that Austrian economics has a progressive theoretical character due to the fact that there exist a number of analytical phenomena that Austrian economics cannot explain in its present state but that may be explained by means of a leap with continuity from Austrian anthropological presuppositions.     

科学与实证——一个基于“神经元经济学”的综述

诞生于20世纪90年代中晚期的神经元经济学(Neuroeconomics)是经济学的最新分支和经济学前沿研究的最新领域,它运用现代神经科学的范式、方法和技术工具分析人类的经济行为以及脑组织(主要是神经元及其相关的神经突触联结和神经网络)在人类决策过程中的功能、作用和机制,把经济学的实证研究提升到一个前所未有的高度,对经济学传统理论提出一系列意义重大的修正,从而为经济学的发展深化开拓了一个全新的空间。     

神经经济学——经济学领域的“新大陆”

传统经济学在研究消费决策时通常假设人是理性的,总是在约束条件下寻求利益的最大化。而大量的现实经济活动表明,人在作出决策时往往不是出于理性的判断。对于那些传统经济学模型无法解释的行为,通过借助现代神经医学设备,研究人员能够在神经层面触及决策潜意识,重建经济学对经济行为的解释框架。     

行为主体的知识在专业化与分工中的作用

基于主体行为决策的视角,探讨了在主体采取简单决策模式的情况下组织内进行管理分工与专业化的必要性。研究结果表明：行为主体采用简单决策模式所产生的偏差成本以及主体有限理性的约束使得主体知识存在一个与环境特征相联系的最优结构;组织内实行分工与专业化是知识特征约束下的组织追求效率的最优选择。     

Sexual Selection and Economic Positioning

Synopsis In their recent survey of Darwinian aesthetics, Grammer et al. (2003) note the surprising lack of a connection between studies related to human beauty and the theory of sexual selection. Understanding this missing link sheds new light on recent research that indicates positional concerns Pingle & Mitchell 2002, Solnick & Hemenway 1998, are important factors in the decision-making process. Integrating the theory of sexual selection into the decision framework found in economics makes it possible to explain why individuals are potentially willing to accept less, as long as it places them in a superior position relative to others.     

论幸福对微观经济学效用最大化法则的修正

随着经济学与心理学及社会学的深入交叉,众多研究发现增加财富并不一定能增加幸福,以幸福最大化作为人类行为决策的最终目的成为幸福经济学最新研究对象。应用幸福经济学前沿理论,分析了效用曲线的演变发展,进而对微观个体行为决策提出措施和建议。     

Chromosomes and the Slutsky Equation: Lessons from 21st Century Genetics for 20th Century Economics

Reductionist scientific methodology has been at the forefront of economics research for much of the past 50 years. This short essay argues that recent discoveries in genetic engineering show that the study of complex phenomena might not be best served by such an approach, but rather by one that takes into consideration more evolutionary approaches. This provides a tremendous opportunity for the field of bioeconomics to establish itself as a major school of though, going into the future.     

经济学中的行为研究

经济学的行为研究总的来说遵循由隐含的、先验的幕后假设逐步走向台前的路径.以对主流经济学的经济人行为假设的修正为起点,行为研究的枝蔓逐渐扩散开来,并在行为经济学、实验经济学和制度经济学等分支中扎根,从多角度认识经济行为的细微末节,将经济学研究推向更为微观的领域,逐步实现向有限理性的真实经济活动面貌回归.     

Getting past “rational man/emotional woman”: comments on research programs in happiness economics and interpersonal relations

Orthodox neoclassical economics portrays reason as far more important than emotion, autonomy as more characteristic of economic life than social connection, and, more generally, things culturally and cognitively associated with masculinity as more central than things associated with femininity. Research from contemporary neuroscience suggests that such biases are related to certain automatic processes in the brain, and feminist scholarship suggests ways of getting beyond them. The “happiness” and “interpersonal relations” economics research programs have made substantial progress in overcoming a number of these biases, bringing into consideration by economists a wide range of phenomena which were previously neglected. Analysis from a feminist economics perspective suggests several fronts on which research could most profitably continue.     

Pluralism and heterodoxy in economic methodology

Economists work within models that are simplified depictions of reality. An argument for a pluralistic understanding of economics is that different approaches lend insight by looking at different phenomena from different viewpoints. While all economists can benefit from taking a pluralistic approach to understanding economics, Austrian school economists must be more pluralistic in their understanding and presentation of ideas than mainstream economists if they want their ideas to have an impact on mainstream economics. Despite the argument for a pluralistic understanding of economics, in research, as in other activities, specialization increases productivity. While Austrian school economists can benefit from taking a pluralistic approach to understanding economics, they are likely to be most productive in their research by specializing in the development of Austrian school methods and ideas.     

合作行为与合作经济学:一个理论分析框架

本文对合作经济学理论体系发展的一些基本问题进行了讨论。由于现实生活中表现出了以竞争作为主线的自利模型不能解释的大量事例,因此笔者试图将亲社会性他涉偏好纳入到经济学理论体系假设中来构建合作经济学,并为其提供了翔实的科学证据。本文还讨论了合作、亲社会情感、他涉偏好等一些基本范畴,并对合作经济学的基本理论内容以及基本方法论等问题进行了探讨。     

Behavioural Economics,Hyperbolic Discounting and Environmental Policy

This paper reviews some recent research in “behavioural economics” with an application to environmental issues. Empirical results from behavioural economics provide a reminder that human behaviour is context-dependent, implying that policy may go awry if based upon models of behaviour which are inappropriate to the contexts in which decisions are made. Recognizing that agents may, in some contexts, systematically make mistakes raises challenging questions about the role of “paternalism” in government policy. The paper considers the research into hyperbolic discounting, and examines the implications for environmental policy. We develop a model of resource management under hyperbolic discounting, which shows that if a planner is unable to commit to a policy, the temptation to re-evaluate the policy in future could lead to an inadvertent collapse in the stocks of a natural resource.     

Information theory in ecosystems

Steering of management processes in compliance with resources of information in ecosystems, is one of the bases of knowledge-based economics which is conditioned by the achievement of sustainable development. The aim of this paper is to present the problems that became the subject of the research on the information theory in ecosystems as the domain of sustainable development economics. The analysis of information within ecosystem ought to be perceived as the methodology of scientific conduct, which is supportive of management processes in the conditions of stable and sustainable development. In such perspective, this analysis lies in the recognition of what is the structure of phenomena, processes and streams of information within ecosystems and in the cybernetic system: ecosystem-economy. The analysis comprises also those research activities that serve explanation whether certain management processes came into being or will be realized in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. Thus, the results of information within ecosystem may prove useful not only for making decisions concerning the courses and ways of acting for the benefit of preserving ecosystems, but they may also enable control, evaluation and greater economic efficiency and effectiveness of steering sustainable development.     

行为决策理论及决策行为实证研究方法探讨

作者对行为决策理论发展的历程及各阶段中决策行为的实证研究方法进行了梳理,发现决策行为的实证研究方法在很大程度上决定了行为决策理论发展的进程。在对决策行为一般实证研究方法及其特点进行分析之后,作者认为观察法较适用于决策行为的初步探索性研究;调查法则较适用于一般决策行为的总体状况和特征的研究;如果理论假说源于决策者某些特定的、深层次的主观动机,假设的证实或者证伪又需要大量的检验,实验法的优势比较明显。为了取得对本研究的实证效果,这里对如何将实验法应用于中国投资者决策行为研究做了一次实证性尝试,以供学术争鸣。     

Bioeconomics as economics from a Darwinian perspective

Bioeconomics—the merging of views from biology and economics—on the one hand invites the 'export' of situational logic and sophisticated optimization developed in economics into biology. On the other hand, human economic activity and its evolution, not least over the past few centuries, may be considered an instance for fruitfully applying ideas from evolutionary biology and Darwinian theory. The latter perspective is taken in the present paper. Three different aspects are discussed in detail. First, the Darwinian revolution provides an example of a paradigm shift which contrasts most significantly with the 'subjectivist revolution' that took place at about the same time in economics. Since many of the features of the paradigmatic change that were introduced into the sciences by Darwinism may be desirable for economics as well, the question is explored whether the Darwinian revolution can be a model for introducing a new paradigm in economic theory. Second, the success of Darwinism and its view of evolution have induced economists who are interested in an evolutionary approach in economics to borrow, more or less extensively, concepts and tools from Darwinian theory. Particularly prominent are constructions based on analogies to the theory of natural selection. Because several objections to such analogy constructions can be raised, generalization rather than analogy is advocated here as a research strategy. This means to search for abstract features which all evolutionary theories have in common. Third, the question of what a Darwinian world view might mean for assessing long term economic evolution is discussed. Such a view, it is argued, can provide a point of departure for reinterpreting the hedonistic approach to economic change and development. On the basis of such an interpretation bioeconomics may not only go beyond the optimization-cum-equilibrium paradigm currently prevailing in economics. It may also mean adding substantial qualifications to the subjectivism the neoclassical economists, at the turn of the century, were proud to establish in the course of their scientific revolution.     

女性主义经济学与中国经济学的本土化

经济学研究的是具体社会关系下人的理性行为以及人类行为造成的经济现象,因而具有强烈的人文性;而且,随着经济学研究领域的不断拓宽,人们已经开始引入了制度、文化等社会性因素,经济学的人文性已日益明显.正是基于这种人文性特征引发了人们对具体社会中人之理性的重新审视,以及对社会中人之行为的关注,并导致20世纪80年代之后女性主义经济学的勃兴;经济学领域的性别差异又进一步引发了社会性的思考,从而引发了对经济学本土化的探讨.事实上,不同社会文化下的经济学是有差异的,经济学本质上无法像自然科学那样科学化、客观化和通用化,而是具有强烈的本土化的色彩;而且,如果经济学理论没有本土化,就没有根植性,也就没有创新性,当然也就没有现代性和世界性.     

利他偏好的内生模型及其经济学解释

利他行为对自利人性假设的挑战,要求经济学必须把偏好进行内生化处理。笔者首先构建了一个利他偏好内生模型,使得人类行为统一于效用最大化模式并具有了内在一致的规律性和可预测性;然后对利他偏好内生模型的合理性进行了解释。笔者认为,与利己行为不同,行为主体不是从利他行为后果而是从利他行为本身获得效用;通过整体间的生存适应性补偿机制,利他者不仅可以战胜利己者得以存在和持续,而且利他惩罚行为还为人类走出囚徒困境提供了有力的保证。     

Multiple Species Boreal Forests – What Faustmann Missed

Recent research in natural sciences shows that the dynamics in boreal forests are much more complex than what many models traditionally used in forestry economics reflect. This essay analyzes some challenges of accounting for such complexity. It shows that the optimal harvesting strategy for forest owners is history dependent and for some states of the forest, more than one strategy may be optimal.This paper confirms earlier literature on shallow lakes and coral reefs and shows that this kind of phenomena seem much more common than previously thought. They are valid for a wide range of ecosystems that cover large surfaces and they do not depend on the choice of some specific function to model the non-linearity. There are also indications that theses results could be obtained even for resources with concave growth if at least one species with non-linear growth affects their dynamics.     

Decentralized planning in a market economy? On the nature of Coase’s research program

By drawing attention to the planning islands of firm organizations in a market economy, Coase makes us believe that besides the price mechanism, there is another means of coordination, namely deliberate coordination. With the firm as an exemplary case of deliberate coordination was introduced into landscape of economics, Coase initiated a new research program which is to inquire into how efficiency is (and could be) achieved via various kinds of institutional arrangements, from the price mechanism, to firms, to government regulations. This paper acknowledges the positive role Coase has played in drawing economists’ attention to the generally neglected field of organizational research. It criticizes, however, his research program for viewing the economy, or society, from the perspective of some concrete decision-making entity.