Rational, Normative, Descriptive, Prescriptive, or Choice Behavior? The Search for Integrative Metatheory of Decision Making

Abstract

Decision making, integral to everyday behavior, is the subject of thousands of studies each year. Its long history has led to the emergence of several competing models in the cognitive literature. Meanwhile, behaviorist analysts have carefully studied the mechanisms underlying choice behavior, including the value of reinforcement. Criteria for comparing and contrasting competing models of decision making are generated. Cognitive and behavioral perspectives are analyzed and integrated by emphasizing their commonalities in understanding behavior. The benefits of integrating models of decision making for understanding behavioral development are weighed against the challenges of such as endeavor.