Considerable evidence suggests that people value the freedom to choose. However, it is unclear whether this preference for choice stems purely from choice's intrinsic value, or whether people prefer to choose because it tends to provide instrumental information about desirable outcomes. To address this question, participants completed a novel choice task in which they could freely choose to exert choice or not, manipulating the level of instrumental contingency between participants' choices and eventual outcomes, which we operationalized using the information-theoretic concept of mutual information. Across two experiments (N = 100 each), we demonstrate a marked preference for choice, but importantly found that participants' preference for free choice is weakened when actions are decoupled from outcomes. Taken together, our results demonstrate that a significant factor in people's preference for choice is an assumption about the instrumental value of choice, suggesting against a purely intrinsic value of choice.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2024.105742 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
PDO screw threads versus fractional CO laser, after subcision, for atrophic acne scar remodelling: a randomized group-based comparative study.
Arch Dermatol Res
January 2025
Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
Atrophic acne scars present a significant therapeutic challenge. While subcision with various adjunctive treatments, including fractional CO₂ lasers and polydioxanone (PDO) threads, has been employed for scar remodeling, comparative evidence on their efficacy remains limited. This study aims to compare the clinical efficacy and patient satisfaction between subcision with fractional CO₂ laser and subcision with PDO screw threads in managing atrophic acne scars.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFManaging depression in the elderly: real-world clinical considerations and perspectives.
Int Clin Psychopharmacol
January 2025
Department of Affective Disorders, Jagiellonian University Medical College; Kopernika 21a, 31-501 Kraków, Poland.
This study aims to elucidate current trends in clinical practice for managing depression in elderly patients, focusing on the utilization of pharmacotherapeutics and integrated care models to improve patient outcomes. A comprehensive survey was conducted among physicians from various European countries to gather insights into prescribing habits, treatment patterns, and the impact of comorbidities on therapeutic choices, with a focus on trazodone. The participants included psychiatrists, general practitioners, and neurologists actively involved in elderly depression care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimals capable of complex behaviors tend to have more distinct brain areas than simpler organisms, and artificial networks that perform many tasks tend to self-organize into modules (1-3). This suggests that different brain areas serve distinct functions supporting complex behavior. However, a common observation is that essentially anything that an animal senses, knows, or does can be decoded from neural activity in any brain area (4-6).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvolving Appetites: Current Evidence and Future Perspectives in Terms of Meat Substitutes in Europe.
Food Sci Nutr
January 2025
Consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental and health impacts of their food choices, leading to changes in consumption behavior. This study examines the consumption patterns and behaviors of European consumers regarding meat substitutes and identifies factors influencing their acceptance as alternative protein sources. The study involved 5000 participants from four European countries-France, Germany, Italy, and Spain with data extracted from the Mintel consumer database in 2024.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImproving consumer trust in digital health: A mixed methods study involving people living with chronic kidney disease.
Digit Health
January 2025
Centre for Online Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Aim: To explore preferences, experience and trust in digital health in people living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and tailor these findings towards solutions that may enhance uptake of digital health services.
Methods: Mixed methods study, with cross-sectional survey and individual interviews with adults living with CKD attending specialist appointments at an Australian metropolitan hospital. Descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon matched-pairs test were used for survey responses and thematic analysis of interview transcripts, both reported on a theme-by-theme basis provided an overall understanding of trust in digital healthcare.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!