To Choose or Not to Choose: The Effects of Conflict and Risk on Choice Deferral

Abstract

To choose or not to choose 2 Acknowledgements I am fortunate to have received much assistance and support from colleagues, friends, and family while writing this thesis and throughout my time at Wesleyan. Professor Andrea Patalano cannot be thanked enough. Without a doubt, working with Andrea has been an extraordinarily influential and rewarding academic experience. Her acumen, work ethic, and conviviality are inspiring to all those who have the pleasure to work with her as closely as I have. I gratefully acknowledge the indefatigable assistance of Kirsten Haller, the professor-to-be, for always keeping me organized and on track. Imploring Kirsten to join the Patalano Lab turned out to be an especially constructive decision: Not only did engaging research emerge from our collaboration, but an enriching friendship was also formed. Additionally, I thank my thesis committee members, Professor John Seamon and Professor Steve Stemler, for their support, accommodation, and advice throughout the thesis writing process. For dedicating countless hours to helping me analyze data, I am indebted to Manolis Kaparakis. His tutelage and amity, both in the QAC lab and on the squash courts, have been immensely valuable and enjoyable. Likewise, I have benefited greatly from my past research collaborations with Professor John Seamon and Professor Richard Boyd; this thesis greatly benefited from the many skills I developed while working with these two outstanding mentors.