Blackwell Reference Online

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Rational choice theories explain social behavior via the aggregated actions of rational or purposive actors. The actors are rational in the sense that, given a set of values and beliefs, they calculate the relative costs and benefits of alternative actions and, from these calculations, make a choice that maximizes their expected utility. Rational choice models assume that the range of alternatives open to actors is constrained by the environment or by institutions within which they make their decisions. In their purest form, these theories also assume that actors possess complete information about their values and the various courses of action through which they can pursue them. Actors collect, organize, and analyze this information prior to making a decision. Thus, rational choice theories are means-end theories. That is, they describe the means or rational calculus through which actors go about obtaining their desired ends, or values. Rational choice theory received its first formal treatment in economics, where it has long been the dominant paradigm. More recently, rational choice theory has become one of the dominant approaches in political science and has made a number of inroads into psychology and sociology. The introduction of rational choice into sociology has generated a fair amount of controversy, and debates about the place of rational choice approaches in sociology ... log in or subscribe to read full text