Reducing variance or helping the poorest? A mouse tracking approach to investigate cognitive bases of inequality aversion in resource allocation.

ABSTRACT: Humans dislike unequal allocations. Although often conflated, such 'inequality-averse' preferences are separable into two elements: egalitarian concern about the variance and maximin concern about the poorest (maximizing the minimum). Recent research has shown that the maximin concern operates more robustly in allocation decisions than the egalitarian concern. However, the real-time cognitive dynamics of allocation decisions are still unknown. Here, we examined participants' choice behaviour with high temporal resolution using a mouse-tracking technique. Participants made a series of allocation choices for others between two options: a 'non-Utilitarian option' with both smaller variance and higher minimum pay-off (but a smaller total) compared with the other 'Utilitarian option'. Choice da

SUBMITTER: Ueshima A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8074914 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature