Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 15, 2025
13:04
Measuring the Subjective Value of Risky and Ambiguous Options using Experimental Economics and Functional MRI Methods
Published on: September 19, 2012
12.2K
Divergent attitudes toward ambiguous and conflicting information
Ohad Dan1, Maya Sanghvi2, Ifat Levy2,3,4,5,6
1Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. ohad.dan@yale.edu.
Scientific Reports
|July 16, 2025
Summary
Decision-makers initially treat conflicting information like ambiguity. However, they strongly avoid conflict when directly comparing it to ambiguity, revealing context-dependent attitudes toward informational conflict.
Area of Science:
- Decision Sciences
- Cognitive Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Informational conflict from multiple sources is common but understudied.
- Decision-making under uncertainty is complex, with ambiguity being a key factor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how decision-makers interpret and react to informational conflicts.
- To test if conflicts are primarily perceived and treated as ambiguity.
Main Methods:
- A behavioral experiment presenting participants with choices involving different types of uncertainty and monetary outcomes.
- Comparison of attitudes towards conflict versus ambiguity in isolated and comparative choice scenarios.
Main Results:
- Attitudes towards conflict and ambiguity were similar when contrasted with certain outcomes.
- Participants showed a significant aversion to conflict when directly comparing conflicting and ambiguous lotteries.
Conclusions:
- Decision-makers tend to simplify conflict into ambiguity when considered in isolation.
- Comparative evaluation reveals context-dependent and aversive attitudes towards informational conflict.
- Findings are relevant for advice-giving and information communication in polarized environments.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:38Cognitive Dissonance
33.7K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
33.7K
01:54Attitudes
29.7K
Attitude is our evaluation of a person, an idea, or an object. We have attitudes for many things ranging from products that we might pick up in the supermarket to people around the world to political policies. Typically, attitudes are favorable or unfavorable: positive or negative (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993). And, they have three components: an affective component (feelings), a behavioral component (the effect of the attitude on behavior), and a cognitive component (belief and knowledge;...
29.7K
01:14Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance
159
Avoidance-avoidance conflict refers to a psychological situation where a person must choose between two or more unpleasant alternatives. These conflicts are particularly stressful because neither option is desirable. This dilemma is often expressed in sayings like "caught between a rock and a hard place" or "between the devil and the deep blue sea." For instance, individuals who fear dental procedures may find themselves torn between enduring a painful toothache or facing the...
159
01:31Confirmation Biases
7.2K
The confirmation bias is the tendency to focus on information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore information that is inconsistent with our expectations. For example, if you think that your professor is not very nice, you notice all of the instances of rude behavior exhibited by the professor while ignoring the countless pleasant interactions he is involved in on a daily basis. Have you ever fallen prey to the confirmation bias, either as the source or target of such bias?
7.2K
01:20Frustration and Conflict: Approach-Approach, Approach-Avoidance
150
Frustration occurs when people are obstructed or prevented from achieving a desired goal or fulfilling a perceived need. For example, when someone's input is ignored in a discussion, it can lead to feelings of frustration. Conflict, however, arises from opposing interests, goals, or actions. Conflicts can take various forms based on the nature of these opposing desires or goals.
One common type of conflict is the Approach–Approach Conflict. In this case, a person faces two desirable...
One common type of conflict is the Approach–Approach Conflict. In this case, a person faces two desirable...
150
02:16Stereotype Content Model
14.9K
The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) was first proposed by Susan Fiske and her colleagues (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick & Xu, 2002; see also Fiske, 2012 and Fiske, 2017). The SCM specifies that when someone encounters a new group, they will stereotype them based on two metrics: warmth—or that group’s perceived intent, and how likely they are to provide help or inflict harm—and competence—or their ability to carry out that objective. Depending on the warmth-competence...
14.9K