[1] This emphasis on simple rules in an uncertain world contrasts with the view that the complexity of social situations requires highly sophisticated mental strategies, as has been assumed in primate research[better source needed][2] and neuroscience,[3] among others.
The normative program studies the environmental conditions to which a heuristic is adapted, that is, where it performs better than other decision strategies.
The domain of pro-environmental behavior provides numerous illustrations for this strategy, such as littering behavior in public places,[10] the reuse of towels in hotel rooms,[11] and changes in private energy consumption in response to information about the consumption of the majority of neighbors.
These options can be both social (e.g., time spent with children) and nonsocial entities (e.g., financial investments or natural resources).
For example, many parents invest their limited resources, such as affection, time, and money (e.g., for education) equally into their offspring.