| This dissertation consists of three essays on decision theory. The title and a brief abstract of each essay follow. (1) "Preference for Randomization": Randomization is central to our understanding of ambiguity and fairness. In this essay, I study preferences for the timing of randomization. In the relevant literature, decision makers have been assumed to be indifferent to the timing of randomization, even though recent experimental evidence suggests that they do often have systematic preferences for the timing. The essay provides an axiomatic model that captures such preferences. (2) "Role Conflict and Choice": People experience role conflict when their self-interest is in conflict with the interests of others. In this essay, I study preferences on sets (menus) of allocations among individuals and provide an axiomatic model of choices that are triggered by role conflict. (3) "Relationships between Risk and Time Preferences": Risk and time preferences have been studied separately in the past. Recent experiments, however, have found evidence suggesting that relationships exist between the two preferences. In this essay, I provide a theoretical foundation, consistent with the experimental evidence, which shows how the two preferences are related. |
