The Power of the Rational Actor: An Exploratory Analysis of Why (Pro)Social Values Can Be Overridden

• In Event: 433 - Section on Altruism, Morality and Social Solidarity Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 05. Experimental Analysis of Altruism

Abstract

THE POWER OF THE RATIONAL ACTOR: AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS OF WHY (PRO)SOCIAL VALUES CAN BE OVERRIDDEN

ABSTRACT
Research within the Social Values Orientation literature has routinely found that actors with differing social values will, in many social situations, hold different preferences and act differently. There has been strong empirical support for multiple orientations to action as a preferred alternative to the narrow rationality model. Current experimental research by the author and colleagues has placed actors with differing social values in exchange conditions; here, the actions of participants converged rather than contrasted. While these results have been recently presented, this paper places less focus on the experimental findings in favor of exploring why they occurred. A goal in this paper is instead, therefore, to offer potential explanations for why the behaviors of SVO actors can converge, rather than differ, in situations such as negotiated exchange. In particular, when might prosocials act in a proself manner and follow the rational actor model? This is an exploratory analysis, and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of explanations, nor a search for a singular answer. The paper will also emphasize the importance of the rational actor model in conditions such as exchange, in which it is a more parsimonious and successful predictor of behavior compared to SVO expectations.

Author

• Danielle Lewis, University of South Carolina