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Transitivity of preferences.

Michel Regenwetter1, Jason Dana, Clintin P Davis-Stober

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL 61822, USA. regenwet@illinois.edu

Psychological Review
|January 20, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Transitive preferences are a core assumption in decision-making models. This study challenges empirical evidence of intransitivity, suggesting methodological issues may explain apparent violations of preference transitivity.

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Area of Science:

  • Decision Science
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Behavioral Economics

Background:

  • Transitivity of preferences, where x > y and y > z implies x > z, is a foundational principle in decision-making models.
  • Empirical claims of intransitive preferences require rigorous evidence due to the principle's significance.
  • Previous studies, including Tversky's (1969), have reported violations of preference transitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically re-evaluate existing data and methodologies used to demonstrate intransitive preferences in human and animal decision-making.
  • To challenge standard operationalizations and identify pervasive methodological problems in preference data collection and analysis.
  • To propose alternative modeling approaches that account for transitive preferences despite apparent violations.

Main Methods:

  • Reanalysis of data from Tversky (1969) and over 20 other studies investigating decision-making.
  • Critique of standard operationalizations and methodological issues in empirical data collection and analysis.
  • Application of parsimonious mixture models assuming transitive strict linear orders as the space of permissible preference states.

Main Results:

  • Evidence for intransitive preferences is often ambiguous and potentially confounded by methodological limitations.
  • Violations of weak stochastic transitivity do not necessarily equate to violations of strict transitivity of preference.
  • Data from numerous studies designed to elicit intransitive choices are demonstrably consistent with underlying transitive preferences when analyzed with appropriate models.

Conclusions:

  • The assumption of transitive preferences remains robust, with apparent violations often stemming from experimental design and analytical techniques.
  • Parsimonious mixture models provide a framework for reconciling observed choice data with the principle of transitivity.
  • Further research should focus on refining methodologies to accurately capture true preference structures and avoid spurious findings of intransitivity.