Peter Muhlberger

Heinz School of Public Policy and Management

"Agency Theory: A Synthesis"

Abstract:

This talk will describe a theory of agency that synthesizes several strains of social research and attempts to address weaknesses of the rational choice approach. The social sciences, particularly those directed at understanding democratic systems, need approaches that do not reduce human action to a mechanical determinism. Rational choice theory, with its emphasis on reason-tempered decisions, provides such an approach. This, however, comes at a high cost because rational choice has difficulty explaining expressive behavior, collective action, weakness of will, and the motivational roles of identity, values, and ethics. An alternative or supplement to rational choice theory, one that respects human agency, can be built by focusing on hidden assumptions within rational choice theory. I will call this alternative "agency theory." Rational choice theory assumes that selves possess considerable continuity through time and are coherent--not torn between different preferences and goals. The continuity and coherence of selves are, however, maintained by an array of processes much studied by psychologists, including self-conceptualization, self-development, self-regulation, internalization, and cognitive dissonance. This research shows that these processes have real consequences for behavior, many of which deviate from standard rational choice predictions. Agency theory synthesizes a variety of current psychological theories, showing their common points, clarifying how they can benefit each other, and opening new research possibilities. These theories can be classified into theories of self-regulation and cognitive theories relevant to understanding self-regulation.

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