Identifiable victim effect, in short, refers to individuals’ greater willingness to help and spend money or resources for identified or specific victims rather than anonymous, unidentified, or statistical victims ( Genevsky et al. 2013 ; Jenni & Loewenstein, 1997 ; Klusek, 2018 ; Kogut & Kogut, 2013 ; Lee & Feeley, 2016 , 2018 ; Perrault et al., 2015 ).
Published in Chapter:
A Look at Cognitive Biases Violating Utilitarianism
Copyright: © 2024
|Pages: 17
DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3693-1766-2.ch003
Abstract
We make decisions and our decisions affect others as well as ourselves. However, we cannot always think in a completely rational way. Therefore, studies relating to understanding biases affecting decisions and eliminating negative effects of these biases can help us to improve our decisions. In this chapter, omission bias, identifiable victim effect, punishment without deterrence, ex-ante equality, and parochialism, which are considered deviations from utilitarianism, are examined. The reasons for the occurrence of them and some possible effects of these biases on the decisions taken and policies created are discussed. Ways to improve rational thinking and to reduce the negative effects of these biases are mentioned.