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Regret and justification as a link from argumentation to consequentialism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 March 2011

Terry Connolly  and
Jochen Reb
Terry Connolly
Affiliation:
Eller College, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721. [email protected]://management.eller.arizona.edu/faculty/tconnolly.asp
Jochen Reb
Affiliation:
Singapore Management University, Singapore 178899. [email protected]://www.business.smu.edu.sg/faculty/organisational_behavior/jreb.asp
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Abstract

Mercier and Sperber (M&S) argue that reasoning has evolved primarily as an adjunct to persuasive communication rather than as a basis for consequential choice. Recent research on decision-related regret suggests that regret aversion and concomitant needs for justification may underpin a complementary mechanism that can, if appropriately deployed, convert M&S's facile arguer into an effective decision maker, with obvious evolutionary advantages.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 34 , Issue 2 , April 2011 , pp. 75
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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