Temptation and commitment in the laboratory

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Houser, Daniel; Schunk, Daniel; Winter, Joachim; Xiao, Erte
• 署名单位: George Mason University; Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz; University of Munich; Monash University
• 刊物名称: GAMES AND ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0899-8256
• DOI: 10.1016/j.geb.2017.10.025
• 发表日期: 2018
• 页码: 329-344
• 关键词: self-control; willpower; temptation; COMMITMENT; laboratory experiment

摘要

We report data from a novel laboratory experiment on economic decisions under persistent temptations. This type of temptation is ubiquitous, as it refers to any temptation that is present until one either gives in or makes a costly commitment decision to have it removed. Subjects in our experiment are repeatedly offered an option with instantaneous benefit that also entails a substantial reduction to overall earnings. We show that this option is tempting in the sense that a substantial fraction of our subjects incur pecuniary costs to eliminate the choice, and thus commit not to choose this alternative. We find that commitment and giving in to temptation generally occur at the first opportunity, though a non-negligible fraction of subjects delay either making the commitment decision or giving in to temptation. This delay is consistent with the costs of self-control increasing with its use. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.