Table 2 Cognitive factors
Factor | Definition | Association with consistency | Type of supporting data |
|---|---|---|---|
Normative Beliefs | Whether the decision-maker is thinking about what important others would think about their decision | Normative Beliefs are less likely to be activated for hypothetical decisions than for real ones | Empirical [35] |
Social Desirability | Whether the decision-maker’s decision is affected by their desire to conform to the experimenter’s beliefs | Social desirability affects hypothetical decisions more than real decisions | |
Anticipated or Forecasted Emotions | Whether people are predicting the emotions they think they would feel when making a decision, versus actually experiencing those emotions | Emotions in hypothetical decisions are forecasted more than in real life decisions | |
Deliberative Mindset | Whether participants are evaluating the pros and cons of different options, versus focussing on information that is useful for them to complete a selected goal | The deliberative mindset is used more in hypothetical decisions than in real life | Review [14] |
Abstract Construals | Whether the decision-maker is thinking about the general features, versus thinking about the specifics of a decision | Abstract construals of problems are employed more in hypothetical decisions than in real life | Review [14] Empirical [43] |
Attribute Non-Attendance | Whether the decision-maker neglects to fully consider some of the attributes of a decision | More attention is paid to the attributes of a real decision than a hypothetical one | Empirical [44] |
Risk Aversion | Whether the decision-maker prefers options that are less likely, but have greater rewards, to options that are definite but have smaller rewards | Risk aversion is underestimated in hypothetical decisions compared to real life ones. | |
Implicit Associations | Amount of automatic associations elicited in the decision | Consistency between real and hypothetical decisions is worse with more implicit associations present | Empirical [49] |
Certainty | Whether the decision-maker is certain that their hypothetical decision is the same as would be their real-world decision | A high degree of certainty about a hypothetical decision makes it more likely to be consistent with a real decision | |
Salience of/ Concern with the Decision | Amount of importance placed on hypothetical decision | Greater engagement/concern associated with greater consistency |