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Antecedent rationalization: Rationalization prior to action.

Eric Thomas Sievers1

  • 1Department of Philosophy, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL32306-1500. esievers@fsu.eduwww.ericsievers.xyz.

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People often rationalize actions before they happen by adopting beliefs that justify the behavior. This antecedent rationalization is crucial for understanding the evolution of human decision-making.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Behavioral Economics

Background:

  • Human behavior frequently involves actions that appear non-rational.
  • Individuals often develop justifications for these actions.
  • Rationalization plays a significant role in decision-making processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the phenomenon of antecedent rationalization.
  • To highlight the importance of pre-behavioral justification in decision-making.
  • To emphasize the necessity of including antecedent rationalization in evolutionary accounts.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of decision-making processes.
  • Review of existing literature on rationalization and behavioral economics.
  • Theoretical framework development for evolutionary psychology.

Main Results:

  • Rationalization frequently precedes, rather than follows, non-rational actions.
  • Quasi-beliefs are adopted to align actions with perceived rationality.
  • Antecedent rationalization is a key cognitive mechanism.

Conclusions:

  • A comprehensive understanding of rationalization requires acknowledging its anticipatory nature.
  • Evolutionary theories of human behavior must incorporate antecedent rationalization.
  • This cognitive strategy aids in navigating complex behavioral choices.