Abstract

This paper will apply the work of Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman in Prospect theory to the college recruiting process. Prospect theory challenges one of the fundamental ideas of Economics; humans are rational creatures and make rational decisions. The theory demonstrates that in fact, often humans do not make rational decisions and are instead subject to “heuristics”. Heuristics are mental shortcuts individual use to solve problems. The paper will both explain heuristics, as well as demonstrate how coaches, administrators, and junior athletes should be aware of the role of heuristics in both long-termdevelopments, as well as the college recruitment process.

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