Sources and Representations of Uncertainty and Preferences for Reward Contingencies
Spurlock, David Glenn
This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/82274
Description
Title
Sources and Representations of Uncertainty and Preferences for Reward Contingencies
Author(s)
Spurlock, David Glenn
Issue Date
1999
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Sniezek, Janet A.
Department of Study
Psychology
Discipline
Psychology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Psychology, Social
Language
eng
Abstract
Two experiments were performed to investigate hypotheses concerning the effects of vague versus precise representation of uncertainties, the sources of those uncertainties (environmental or personal performance), and the types of uncertainties (internal versus external created through the timing of the determination of the outcomes). The experiments were conducted with undergraduate psychology student volunteers (n = 150 for Experiment 17 and n = 65 for Experiment 2) who participated in exchange for partial fulfillment of course requirements. The tasks involved subjects making choices with respect to contingencies associated with their correct answers to multiple choice questions or the outcomes of draws of playing cards over which they had no control. Subjects made the choices under combinations of information (advice) conditions. The results indicated that, first, subjects behaved as if they sought to reduce their absolute level of internal uncertainty as much as possible while simultaneously attempting to maintain a self-serving (i.e., optimistic) bias. Second, subjects seemed to prefer that the performance contingency (question) determinant be selected prior to their choice of contingency for a particular trial. Third, subjects exhibited a general, albeit small, preference for vagueness in this task that could be due to the use of a gain frame in the task presentation. Fourth, subjects acted as if they were willing to tolerate larger than minimal amounts of relative internal uncertainty in exchange for reduction in absolute internal uncertainty (as demonstrated by their general preference for preselection over postselection of the determining items in each trial). Fifth, there was no overall tendency to prefer one type of contingency (performance or environmental) over the other. The findings of Experiment 2 indicated a slight preference for advice that reduced uncertainty about the subject's performance over advice that reduced uncertainty about environmental contingencies although this preference did not manifest itself in the actual choice of advice. In other words, the effect on actual choice behavior, if any, was smaller than the difference in reported preferences for the advice chosen. Theoretical explanations, research implications, and possible applications of these findings are discussed.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.
