Prospect Theory for Human-Centric Communications

Entering the 5G/6G era, the core concept of human-centric communications has intensified the research effort into analytical frameworks for integrating technological and non-technological domains. Among non-technological domains, human behavioral, psychological, and socio-economic contexts are widely considered as indispensable elements for characterizing user experience (UE). In this study, we introduce the prospect theory as a promising methodology for modeling UE and perceptual measurements for human-centric communications. As the founding pillar of behavioral economics, the prospect theory proposes the non-linear quantity and probability perception of human psychology, which extends to five fundamental behavioral attributes that have profound implications for diverse disciplines. An example of applying the novel theoretic framework is also provided to illustrate how the prospect theory can be utilized to incorporate human factors and analyze human-centric communications. By expatiating on the prospect theoretic framework, we aim to provide a guideline for developing human-centric communications and articulate a novel interdisciplinary research area for further investigation.