Maximization and the Act of Choice.

The act of choosing can influence maximizing behaviour for at least two distinct reasons: (1) process significance and (2) decisional inescapability. These influences can require systematic departures from the regularities assumed in standard models of rational choice, but they can be fully incorporated within the general approach of maximizing behaviour. The constructive programme of the paper is combined with critical appraisal of the implications of these concerns for rational decisions about actions and strategies, and their relevance for empirical studies of economic, social and political behaviour.