George Ainslie (psychologist)
Encyclopedia
George W. Ainslie is an American psychiatrist
, psychologist
and behavioral economist.
Unusually for a psychiatrist, Ainslie undertook experimental animal research in operant conditioning
, under the guidance of Howard Rachlin
. He investigated inter-temporal choice in pigeons, and was the first to demonstrate experimentally the phenomenon of preference reversal in favor of the more immediate outcomes as the choice point between two options, one delivered sooner than the other, is moved forward in time. He explained this in terms of hyperbolic discounting
of future rewards, derived from ideas that Rachlin and others had developed from Richard Herrnstein
's matching law
. Ainslie then integrated these ideas with earlier experimental and theoretical work on inter-temporal choice, for example the studies of Walter Mischel
on delay of gratification in children. In his book Picoeconomics (1992) he attempted to account for these ideas, and also facts about addiction
that he was concerned with from his clinical work at the Veteran Administration Medical Center, Coatesville, Pennsylvania
(where he rose to become chief psychiatrist), by supposing that different parts or aspects of the personality are in conflict with one another. He grounded this idea in the Freudian
theory of id, ego and superego; it became important in behavioral economics in the form of Richard Thaler
's "multiple selves" theory of saving behavior. Many of Ainslie's ideas have proved to be foundational within behavioral economics, and (along with that of Drazen Prelec
) his work formed a key conduit by which ideas and data from operant conditioning joined the current of work on decision making
to make an overwhelming challenge to the rational choice theory
that had dominated economic thinking.
In addition to his work at the Veterans Administration, Ainslie has held a position as a Clinical Professor at Temple University
in Philadelphia
Just as classical economics
describes negotiation for limited resources among institutions, and microeconomics
describes such negotiation among individuals, so picoeconomics describes interactions that resemble negotiation among parts that can be defined within the individual for control of that individual's finite behavioral capacity.
A large number of experiments have confirmed that spontaneous preferences by both human and nonhuman subjects follow a hyperbolic curve
rather than the conventional, exponential curve that would produce consistent choice over time.
For instance, when offered the choice between $50 now and $100 a year from now, many people will choose the immediate $50. However, given the choice between $50 in five years or $100 in six years almost everyone will choose $100 in six years, even though that is the same choice seen at five years’ greater distance.
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
, psychologist
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and behavioral economist.
Unusually for a psychiatrist, Ainslie undertook experimental animal research in operant conditioning
Operant conditioning
Operant conditioning is a form of psychological learning during which an individual modifies the occurrence and form of its own behavior due to the association of the behavior with a stimulus...
, under the guidance of Howard Rachlin
Howard Rachlin
Howard Rachlin is Emeritus Research Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook Howard Rachlin (born 1935) is Emeritus Research Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook Howard Rachlin (born 1935)...
. He investigated inter-temporal choice in pigeons, and was the first to demonstrate experimentally the phenomenon of preference reversal in favor of the more immediate outcomes as the choice point between two options, one delivered sooner than the other, is moved forward in time. He explained this in terms of hyperbolic discounting
Hyperbolic discounting
In behavioral economics, hyperbolic discounting is a time-inconsistent model of discounting.Given two similar rewards, humans show a preference for one that arrives sooner rather than later. Humans are said to discount the value of the later reward, by a factor that increases with the length of the...
of future rewards, derived from ideas that Rachlin and others had developed from Richard Herrnstein
Richard Herrnstein
Richard J. Herrnstein was an American researcher in animal learning in the Skinnerian tradition. He was one of the founders of quantitative analysis of behavior....
's matching law
Matching law
In operant conditioning, the matching law is a quantitative relationship that holds between the relative rates of response and the relative rates of reinforcement in concurrent schedules of reinforcement...
. Ainslie then integrated these ideas with earlier experimental and theoretical work on inter-temporal choice, for example the studies of Walter Mischel
Walter Mischel
Walter Mischel is an American psychologist specializing in personality theory and social psychology. He is the Robert Johnston Niven Professor of Humane Letters in the Department of Psychology at Columbia University.-Early life:...
on delay of gratification in children. In his book Picoeconomics (1992) he attempted to account for these ideas, and also facts about addiction
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
that he was concerned with from his clinical work at the Veteran Administration Medical Center, Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Coatesville is the only city in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,100 at the 2010 census. Coatesville is approximately 39 miles west of Philadelphia....
(where he rose to become chief psychiatrist), by supposing that different parts or aspects of the personality are in conflict with one another. He grounded this idea in the Freudian
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
theory of id, ego and superego; it became important in behavioral economics in the form of Richard Thaler
Richard Thaler
Richard H. Thaler is an American economist and the Ralph and Dorothy Keller Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Economics at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business...
's "multiple selves" theory of saving behavior. Many of Ainslie's ideas have proved to be foundational within behavioral economics, and (along with that of Drazen Prelec
Drazen Prelec
Drazen Prelec is a professor of management science and economics in the MIT Sloan School of Management, and a pioneer in the field of neuroeconomics....
) his work formed a key conduit by which ideas and data from operant conditioning joined the current of work on decision making
Decision making
Decision making can be regarded as the mental processes resulting in the selection of a course of action among several alternative scenarios. Every decision making process produces a final choice. The output can be an action or an opinion of choice.- Overview :Human performance in decision terms...
to make an overwhelming challenge to the rational choice theory
Rational choice theory
Rational choice theory, also known as choice theory or rational action theory, is a framework for understanding and often formally modeling social and economic behavior. It is the main theoretical paradigm in the currently-dominant school of microeconomics...
that had dominated economic thinking.
In addition to his work at the Veterans Administration, Ainslie has held a position as a Clinical Professor at Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
in Philadelphia
Picoeconomics
Picoeconomics is a term used by George Ainslie in order to describe the different implications of an experimental discovery: the tendency for people to have a stronger preference for more immediate payoffs relative to later payoffs, where the tendency increases the closer to the present both payoffs are. Given two similar rewards, humans show a preference for one that arrives sooner rather than later. Humans are said to discount the value of the later reward, by a factor that increases with the length of the delay.Just as classical economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
describes negotiation for limited resources among institutions, and microeconomics
Microeconomics
Microeconomics is a branch of economics that studies the behavior of how the individual modern household and firms make decisions to allocate limited resources. Typically, it applies to markets where goods or services are being bought and sold...
describes such negotiation among individuals, so picoeconomics describes interactions that resemble negotiation among parts that can be defined within the individual for control of that individual's finite behavioral capacity.
A large number of experiments have confirmed that spontaneous preferences by both human and nonhuman subjects follow a hyperbolic curve
Hyperbolic discounting
In behavioral economics, hyperbolic discounting is a time-inconsistent model of discounting.Given two similar rewards, humans show a preference for one that arrives sooner rather than later. Humans are said to discount the value of the later reward, by a factor that increases with the length of the...
rather than the conventional, exponential curve that would produce consistent choice over time.
For instance, when offered the choice between $50 now and $100 a year from now, many people will choose the immediate $50. However, given the choice between $50 in five years or $100 in six years almost everyone will choose $100 in six years, even though that is the same choice seen at five years’ greater distance.
Works
(selection)- Ainslie, G. (1992). Picoeconomics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521260930
- Ainslie, G. (2001). Breakdown of will. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521596947