Open AccessRationalization
Author(s) -
Cherepanov Vadim,
Feddersen Timothy,
Sandroni Alvaro
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
theoretical economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.404
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1555-7561
pISSN - 1933-6837
DOI - 10.3982/te970
Subject(s) - rationalization (economics) , mathematical economics , computer science , economics , microeconomics
In 1908, the Welsh neurologist and psychoanalyst Ernest Jones described human beings as rationalizers whose behavior is governed by “the necessity of providing an explanation.” We construct a formal and testable model of rationalization in which a decision maker selects her preferred alternative from among those that she can rationalize.