Unlike in standard models, decision makers often narrowly bracket and make each decision in isolation. I develop a new approach, which I term narrow thinking, to systematically model narrow bracketing. The definition of narrow thinking is that different decisions are based on different, non-nested, information. As a result, the narrow thinker makes each decision with imperfect knowledge of other decisions and faces difficulties coordinating her multiple decisions. The narrow thinker effectively cares less about her other decisions when making each decision. The main application of narrow thinking is to provide a smooth model of mental accounting without requiring the decision maker to have explicit budgets. My approach generates unique predictions about how the degree of mental accounting depends on expenditure shares and cognitive limitations. It also illustrates how narrow bracketing and mental accounting can be explained by the same underlying friction.

中文翻译：

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狭隘思维理论

与标准模型不同的是，决策者通常会狭隘地将每个决策孤立起来。我开发了一种新方法，我称之为狭隘思维, 系统地模拟窄包围。狭隘思维的定义是不同的决策基于不同的、非嵌套的信息。结果，狭隘的思考者在对其他决策的了解不完全的情况下做出每个决策，并且在协调多个决策时面临困难。狭隘的思考者在做出每个决定时实际上不太关心她的其他决定。狭义思维的主要应用是提供一个平滑的心理会计模型，而不需要决策者有明确的预算。我的方法对心理会计的程度如何取决于支出份额和认知限制产生了独特的预测。它还说明了相同的潜在摩擦可以解释狭窄的括号和心理账户。