Abstract
Many theories have been proposed to account for choice behavior. These theories can be classified as either molar or molecular theories, depending on the level of analysis they refer to. In this paper, studies on choice behavior are reviewed and the present status and problems are summarized for the molar theories (i.e., matching and economic maximization theories) and the molecular theories (i.e., momentary maximizing and melioration theories), It has been argued that molar-level behavior such as matching is a byproduct accounted for by some molecular processes such as momentary maximizing, but much of early as well as recent data do not seem to support this notion, In this respect, it is noted that new perspectives have recently appeared which indicate that both levels of behavior processes may have independent or separate roles in determining choices.
