Framing in need determination

描述不变性是理性选择理论的一个重要性质。然而，许多实证研究表明，偏好可能强烈依赖于决策问题的框架，是否添加了不相关的方面，和/或使用的响应模式（例如选择与匹配）。 这些效应被称为框架效应，导致偏好逆转和偏好转移。框架效应已经在许多（应用）领域进行了研究，但在正义和需要的背景下研究较少。本研究课题（A1，FOR 2104的一部分）对认为决策过程的透明性有助于分配决策的社会客观性的透明性假说进行了研究。该项目旨在确定在作出这些决定时发挥作用的决定因素。内部和外部框架进行了调查。一个人的内部框架取决于他/她的个人特征（经验，规范，习惯）。决策者之间的异质性可能会影响他们对需求的判断。 外部框架是指决策者对决策情景的感知和概念，它受到决策问题的措辞（框架）的影响。提出了三个实验系列。第一个系列包括确定性下的决策，两个不同的问题框架和三个响应框架（选择，默认，匹配）。 除了需要，两个人的特征被添加到选择情况：年龄（归因）和健康相关的行为（获得）。第二个系列包括风险下的决策。除了需要之外，还考虑到有需要的人的可识别性。彩票被定义为收益和损失。有两个参与者，一个主动，一个被动。主动者必须保持一定的需要水平，被动者必须达到一定的需要水平，并依赖于主动者的选择行为。被动的人可能会或可能不会被描述为具体的人的特点。第三个系列包括确定性下的决策，重点是人员的可识别性以及如何确定其作用。包括两种响应模式（选择，默认）和两个问题帧（增益，损失）。参与者（决策者）的异质性是衡量在所有三个实验系列，利用人格测试，特别是那些与正义（敏感性）。刺激（决策问题中描述的人）的异质性是通过使用不同的归因和获得的人的特征。

Description-invariance is a main property of rational choice theories. Numerous empirical studies, however, have shown that preferences may strongly depend on how a decision problem is framed, whether irrelevant aspects are added, and/or the response mode being used (e.g. choice vs. matching). Those effects are called framing effects resulting in preference reversals and preference shifts. Framing effects have been studied in many (applied) areas but less in the context of justice and need. The current research project (A1, part of FOR2104) investigates the transparency hypothesis that holds that transparency of a decision process contributes to social objectivity of distribution decisions. The project aims to identify the determinants that play a role when making those decisions. Internal and external framings are investigated. Internal framing of a person depends on her/his personal characteristics (experiences, norms, habits). The heterogeneity among the decision makers may influence their judgments on need. External framing refers to the decision maker’s perception and conception of a decision situation influenced by the phrasing (frame) of the decision problem. Three experimental series are proposed. The first series includes decision making under certainty with two different problem frames and three response frames (choice, default, matching). In addition to need, two person characteristics are added to the choice situation: age (ascribed) and health related behavior (acquired). The second series includes decision making under risk. In addition to need, identifiability of the needy person is considered. Lotteries are framed as gains and losses. Two participants, one active and one passive, are involved. The active person must retain a certain need level and the passive person must reach a certain need level and is dependent on the active person’s choice behavior. The passive person may or may not be described in terms of concrete person characteristics. The third series includes decision making under certainty and focuses on the identifiability of persons and on how their roles are determined. Two response modes are included (choice, default) and two problem frames (gain, loss). The heterogeneity of the participants (decision makers) is measured in all three experimental series by utilizing personality tests, in particular those that relate to justice (sensitivity). Heterogeneity of the stimuli (persons described in the decision problems) is obtained by using different ascribed and acquired person characteristics.