George Ainslie (psychologist)
George Ainslie is an American psychologist and economist known for his work on behavioral economics, particularly his contributions to understanding hyperbolic discounting, willpower, and self-control. His research challenges traditional economic models that assume people make rational decisions based on maximizing long-term utility.
Ainslie's key contributions include:
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Hyperbolic Discounting: Ainslie argued that people discount future rewards hyperbolically, meaning that the value of a reward decreases more rapidly as it gets closer in time. This contrasts with exponential discounting, which assumes a constant rate of discounting over time. Hyperbolic discounting explains why people often choose smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed rewards, even if the latter would be more beneficial in the long run.
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Picoeconomics: Ainslie developed picoeconomics, a framework that views the individual as a population of conflicting interests, each competing for control of behavior. This model explains how self-control problems arise as a result of these internal conflicts. Transient preferences for immediate rewards can temporarily dominate longer-term goals.
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Willpower as Intertemporal Bargaining: Ainslie theorizes that willpower is not a central executive function but rather a strategy people develop to manage their own conflicting interests. He suggests that individuals engage in intertemporal bargaining, creating "personal rules" or commitments to resist temptations. These rules are enforced by the anticipation of regret and the potential loss of credibility with oneself if they are broken.
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Reward Prediction Error (RPE) and Addiction: Ainslie's work also relates to the neurological basis of addiction. He argues that addictive behaviors are driven by the excessive salience of reward prediction error signals, leading to an overvaluation of immediate gratification and difficulty in resisting compulsive behaviors.
Ainslie has published extensively in academic journals and books. His book, Breakdown of Will (2001), provides a comprehensive overview of his theories on self-control and its limitations. His work has had a significant impact on fields such as behavioral economics, psychology, and addiction research, offering insights into the complexities of human decision-making and self-regulation.