The Role of Emotions and the Complexity of the Inter-Temporal Choice Process

What is the rationality of our inter-temporal choices? We need to refine the analysis of our anticipatory emotions, on the one hand by recognizing that they react to the differentials that a situation presents in relation to our expectations, and on the other hand by taking into account the secondary emotions triggered by the comparative exploration processes of the choice situation. They tend to make us prefer choices which, by taking into account the complexities of the choice situation but also those introduced by these exploration processes, minimize the combination of these two complexities. This focuses us mainly on the period when our preparation to deal with this mixed complexity must already be activated, that of our "agenda", where other commitments and projects are already included. Retrospective emotions, on the other hand, lead us to favor the type of emotional expectations that have passed the test of these complexity minimizations in different situations.