IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/aim/wpaimx/2309.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Variational rationality: Finding the inequations of motion of a person seeking to meet his needs

Author

Abstract

As physics provides the equations of motion of a body, this paper formulates, for the first time, at the conceptual and mathematical levels, the inequations of motion of an individual seeking to meet his needs and quasi needs in an adaptive (not myopic) way. Successful (failed) dynamics perform a succession of moves, which are, at once, satisficing and worthwhile (free from too many sacrifices), or not. They approach or reach desires (fall in traps). They balance the desired speed of approach to a desired end (a distal promotion goal) with the size of the required immediate sacrifices to go fast (a proximal prevention goal). Therefore, each period, need/quasi need satisfaction success requires enough self control to be able to make, in the long run, sufficient progress in need/quasi need satisfaction without enduring, in the short run, too big sacrifices. A simple example (lose or gain weight) shows that the size of successful moves must be not too small and not too long. A second paper will solve this problem, using variational principles and inexact optimizing algorithms in mathematics. This strong multidisciplinary perspective refers to a recent mathematical model to psychology: the variational rationality theory of human life stay and change dynamics.

Suggested Citation

  • Antoine Soubeyran, 2023. "Variational rationality: Finding the inequations of motion of a person seeking to meet his needs," AMSE Working Papers 2309, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France.
    • Handle: RePEc:aim:wpaimx:2309
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.amse-aixmarseille.fr/sites/default/files/working_papers/wp_2023_-_nr_09.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Herbert A. Simon, 1955. "A Behavioral Model of Rational Choice," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 69(1), pages 99-118.
    2. Botond Kőszegi & Matthew Rabin, 2006. "A Model of Reference-Dependent Preferences," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 121(4), pages 1133-1165.
    3. T. Q. Bao & B. S. Mordukhovich & A. Soubeyran, 2015. "Variational Analysis in Psychological Modeling," Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 290-315, January.
    4. James G. March, 1991. "Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational Learning," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 2(1), pages 71-87, February.
    5. Jing-Hui Qiu & Antoine Soubeyran & Fei He, 2020. "Equilibrium versions of set-valued variational principles and their applications to organizational behavior," Post-Print hal-02465110, HAL.
    6. Fabián Flores-Bazán & Dinh The Luc & Antoine Soubeyran, 2012. "Maximal Elements Under Reference-Dependent Preferences with Applications to Behavioral Traps and Games," Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, Springer, vol. 155(3), pages 883-901, December.
    7. Garance Genicot & Debraj Ray, 2020. "Aspirations and Economic Behavior," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 12(1), pages 715-746, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Antoine Soubeyran, 2022. "Variational rationality: Finding the inequations of motion of a person seeking to meet his needs," Working Papers hal-04065103, HAL.
    2. Antoine Soubeyran, 2022. "Variational rationality. Self regulation success as a succession of worthwhile moves that make sufficient progress," Working Papers hal-04041238, HAL.
    3. Antoine Soubeyran, 2023. "Variational rationality. Self regulation success as a succession of worthwhile moves that make sufficient progress," AMSE Working Papers 2307, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France.
    4. T. Q. Bao & B. S. Mordukhovich & A. Soubeyran, 2015. "Variational Analysis in Psychological Modeling," Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 290-315, January.
    5. Jensen, Peter D. Ørberg & Larsen, Marcus M. & Pedersen, Torben, 2013. "The organizational design of offshoring: Taking stock and moving forward," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 315-323.
    6. Yudistira Permana, 2020. "Explaining satisficing through risk aversion," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 89(4), pages 503-525, November.
    7. Elizabeth J. Altman & Frank Nagle & Michael L. Tushman, 2013. "Innovating Without Information Constraints: Organizations, Communities, and Innovation When Information Costs Approach Zero," Harvard Business School Working Papers 14-043, Harvard Business School, revised Sep 2014.
    8. J. X. Cruz Neto & P. R. Oliveira & A. Soubeyran & J. C. O. Souza, 2020. "A generalized proximal linearized algorithm for DC functions with application to the optimal size of the firm problem," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 289(2), pages 313-339, June.
    9. Schilling, Melissa A. & Green, Elad, 2011. "Recombinant search and breakthrough idea generation: An analysis of high impact papers in the social sciences," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(10), pages 1321-1331.
    10. Committee, Nobel Prize, 2017. "Richard H. Thaler: Integrating Economics with Psychology," Nobel Prize in Economics documents 2017-1, Nobel Prize Committee.
    11. Bramoullé, Y. & Ghiglino, C., 2024. "Status Consumption in Networks: A Reference Dependent Approach," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2414, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    12. Majid Fakhar & Mohammadreza Khodakhah & Ali Mazyaki & Antoine Soubeyran & Jafar Zafarani, 2022. "Variational rationality, variational principles and the existence of traps in a changing environment," Journal of Global Optimization, Springer, vol. 82(1), pages 161-177, January.
    13. Stefano DellaVigna, 2009. "Psychology and Economics: Evidence from the Field," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 47(2), pages 315-372, June.
    14. Felipe A. Csaszar & Daniel A. Levinthal, 2016. "Mental representation and the discovery of new strategies," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(10), pages 2031-2049, October.
    15. Pascal Seppecher & Isabelle Salle & Dany Lang, 2019. "Is the market really a good teacher?," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 29(1), pages 299-335, March.
    16. Augier, Mie, 2013. "The early evolution of the foundations for behavioral organization theory and strategy," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 72-81.
    17. Saemundsson, Rögnvaldur & Candi, Marina & Sigurjonsson, Throstur Olaf, 2022. "The influence of performance feedback and top management team orientation on decisions about R&D in technology-based firms," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    18. Paolo Collini & Maria Laura Frigotto, 2013. "Management Control Systems for exploration? A paradox and a challenge for research," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2013(1), pages 27-44.
    19. Hiroaki HAYAKAWA, 2017. "Socio-cultural Evolution, Institutionalized Dispositions, And Rational Expressive Behavior," Journal of Economic and Social Thought, KSP Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 1-40, March.
    20. Dalton,Patricio S. & Ruschenpohler,Julius & Zia,Bilal Husnain, 2018. "Determinants and dynamics of business aspirations : evidence from small-scale entrepreneurs in an emerging market," Policy Research Working Paper Series 8400, The World Bank.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    need satisfaction; speed of progress; sacrifices; dynamical system; variational rationality;
    All these keywords.

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:aim:wpaimx:2309. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Gregory Cornu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/amseafr.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.