144 research outputs found
Decision paths in complex tasks
No full textComplex real world action and its prediction and control has escaped analysis by the classical methods of psychological research. The reason is that psychologists have no procedures to parse complex tasks into their constituents. Where such a division can be made, based say on expert judgment, there is no natural scale to measure the positive or negative values of the components. Even if we could assign numbers to task parts, we lack rules i.e., a theory, to combine them into a total task representation. We compare here two plausible theories for the amalgamation of the value of task components. Both of these theories require a numerical representation of motivation, for motivation is the primary variable that guides choice and action in well-learned tasks. We address this problem of motivational quantification and performance prediction by developing psychophysical scales of the desireability or aversiveness of task components based on utility scaling methods (Galanter 1990). We modify methods used originally to scale sensory magnitudes (Stevens and Galanter 1957), and that have been applied recently to the measure of task 'workload' by Gopher and Braune (1984). Our modification uses utility comparison scaling techniques which avoid the unnecessary assumptions made by Gopher and Braune. Formula for the utility of complex tasks based on the theoretical models are used to predict decision and choice of alternate paths to the same goal
Talking about the limits of legal change: an interview with Marc Galanter
No full textRecognized as one of the central figures of the Law & Society and as one of the first editors of the Law & Society Review, Marc Galanter is the author of pioneer and internationally recognized studies on the legal system and patterns of litigation (including "Why the haves come out ahead: Speculations on the Limits of Legal Change", one of the most cited articles in legal literature), lawyers and legal culture, legal institutions and informal regulation, among others. In this interview, Galanter speaks mostly about his academic and professional trajectory, a narrative that is intertwined with the history of tha Law & Society movement itself and with some of the most important developments in American academia since the 60s to the present day. The author also talks about the growth of law firms (described in Tournament of Lawyers) and cultural perceptions currently surrounding lawyers and the legal profession. He discusses the importance of the studies he developed in India for his work, including the famous "Why the haves come out ahead", a piece that is still relevant in the current context.</span
The Duty Not to Deliver Legal Services
No full textProfessor Galanter suggests that the traditional approach to providing legal services in terms of demand (legal needs) and supply (lawyer\u27s services) is inadequate and that alternative methods of providing the benefits of law to everyone must be developed. Arguing that the inequities of the present system stem from the fact that litigation generally pits an individual party against an organizational party with the organization enjoying a sizable advantage, the author suggests that such alternatives as simple and accessible public forums, private sector tribunals, aggressive champions, more competent and organized parties, as well as various forms of augmented legal services may replace the delivery of traditional lawyers\u27 services as the responsibility of the legal profession
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