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Irrelevant Stimuli and Action Control: Analyzing the Influence of Ignored Stimuli via the Distractor-Response Binding Paradigm
Published on: May 14, 2014
Commitment, Cold War, and the battles of the self: Thomas Schelling on behavior control
1Department of Human and Social Sciences, École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences
|April 1, 2024
Summary
Thomas Schelling applied strategic analysis to international conflict and self-control. By restricting choices, individuals can influence future behavior and avoid negative consequences, mirroring international bargaining tactics.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Economics
- Game Theory
- Psychology
Background:
- Thomas C. Schelling, Nobel laureate economist, significantly contributed to international conflict analysis.
- He was renowned for strategic analysis, global commitment knowledge, and dissecting everyday behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore Schelling's strategic bargaining tactics applied to international relations.
- To analyze the transposition of these tactics to individual self-control mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Schelling's mid-1950s bargaining theories on demonstrating US commitment.
- Examination of Schelling's mid-1970s work on self-control and habitual behavior.
Main Results:
- Schelling advocated restricting choices to manage expectations and influence behavior in international conflict.
- He applied this logic to individual self-control, viewing the self as conflicted.
Conclusions:
- Restricting choices becomes a daily routine for individuals managing future consequences.
- Unbounded freedom of choice may lead to an unsettling future, contrasting with the benefits of self-imposed limitations.
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