Decision-making for others: Ambiguity attitudes

Abstract

We investigated decision-making for others in ambiguous settings. In an online survey, subjects were asked to make decisions for themselves, and for other people. In Experiment 1, ambiguity was conveyed in numerical ranges. In Experiment 2, we used verbal probabilities expressions to convey uncertainty. Decisions encompass three degrees of ambiguity (low, moderate, and high). Consistent with previous literature findings, our results showed no significant differences between self-other decision-making on ambiguity. We build on the existing literature on ambiguity attitudes, emphasizing the use of verbal probability expressions to measure ambiguity, and provide novel evidence into decision-making for others.