The phenomenon of ambiguity aversion suggests that people prefer options that offer precisely rather than imprecisely known chances of success. However, past work on people's responses to ambiguity in health treatment contexts found ambiguity seeking rather than aversion. The present work addressed whether such findings reflected a broad tendency for ambiguity seeking in health treatment contexts or whether specific attributions for ambiguity play a substantial role. In three studies, people choose between two treatment options that involved similar underlying probabilities, except that the probabilities for one option involved ambiguity. The attributions offered for the ambiguity played an important role in the results. For example, when the range of probabilities associated with an ambiguous treatment was attributed to the fact that different studies yield different results, participants tended to show ambiguity aversion or indifference. However, when the range was attributed to something that participants could control (e.g., regular application of a cream) or something about which they were overoptimistic (e.g., their immune system function), participants tended to show ambiguity seeking. Health professionals should be mindful of how people will interpret and use information about ambiguity when choosing among treatments.

中文翻译：

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在治疗决策上下文中对歧义的归因会产生歧义厌恶或寻求

歧义厌恶现象表明，人们更喜欢提供精确而不是不精确已知的成功机会的选项。然而，过去关于人们在健康治疗环境中对歧义的反应的研究发现歧义寻求而不是厌恶。目前的工作涉及这些发现是否反映了在健康治疗环境中寻求歧义的广泛趋势，或者歧义的具体归因是否发挥了重要作用。在三项研究中，人们在涉及相似潜在概率的两种治疗方案之间进行选择，只是一种选择的概率存在歧义。为歧义提供的归因在结果中发挥了重要作用。例如，当与模糊处理相关的概率范围归因于不同研究产生不同结果的事实时，参与者倾向于表现出对模糊性的厌恶或漠不关心。然而，当该范围归因于参与者可以控制的事情（例如，经常使用乳霜）或他们过于乐观的事情（例如，他们的免疫系统功能）时，参与者倾向于表现出模棱两可的寻求。卫生专业人员在选择治疗方法时应注意人们将如何解释和使用有关歧义的信息。定期使用面霜）或他们过于乐观的东西（例如，他们的免疫系统功能），参与者倾向于表现出模棱两可的寻求。卫生专业人员在选择治疗方法时应注意人们将如何解释和使用有关歧义的信息。定期使用面霜）或他们过于乐观的东西（例如，他们的免疫系统功能），参与者倾向于表现出模棱两可的寻求。卫生专业人员在选择治疗方法时应注意人们将如何解释和使用有关歧义的信息。