Incentive Relativity (Problems in the Behavioural Sciences, Series Number 15) - Hardcover

Flaherty, Charles F.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521381185 ISBN 13: 9780521381185

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1996

Synopsis

Incentive relativity is the study of the disappointment and irritation shown by animals and humans when they fail to obtain an expected reward. This book provides a full account of the subject, focusing on animals' responses to the relative value of rewards. These relativity effects cause stress in animals but they may also inspire adaptation beneficial to survival. This text shows how animal research may lead to an understanding of individual differences in discernment and susceptibility to disappointment, and to an understanding of both the advantages and disadvantages of dissatisfaction.

About this title

Book Description

Disappointment and recovery occur frequently in life; as does irritation regarding ones financial or economic state compared to others. Incentive relativity is the study of this phenomenon, and this book provides a full account of the subject. The book shows that animals also respond on the basis of the relative value of rewards and that these relativity effects are stressful, but that they may also be adaptive. The book demonstrates that animal research may lead to an understanding of individual differences in discernment and susceptibility to disappointment, and to their adaptive advantages, or disadvantages.

Review

"The strength of Flaherty's book lies in its very thorough and clear review of the literature on the different varieties of contrast. ...it provides valuable background for researchers intrigued by the puzzles of contrast and by the questin of how to compute relative value temporally distant events." K. Geoffrey White, The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521381185
• ISBN 13: 9780521381185
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240