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Strategic Self-Ignorance

Thunström, Linda ; Nordström, Jonas LU ; Shogren, Jason ; Ehmke, Mariah and van 't Veld, Klaas (2016)
Abstract
We examine strategic self-ignorance—the use of ignorance as an excuse to overindulge in pleasurable activities that may be harmful to one’s future self. Our model shows that guilt aversion provides a behavioral rationale for present-biased agents to avoid information about negative future impacts of such activities. We then confront our model with data from an experiment using prepared, restaurant-style meals—a good that is transparent in immediate pleasure (taste) but non-transparent in future harm (calories). Our results support the notion that strategic self-ignorance matters: nearly three of five subjects (58 percent) chose to ignore free information on calorie content, leading at-risk subjects to consume significantly more calories.... (More)
We examine strategic self-ignorance—the use of ignorance as an excuse to overindulge in pleasurable activities that may be harmful to one’s future self. Our model shows that guilt aversion provides a behavioral rationale for present-biased agents to avoid information about negative future impacts of such activities. We then confront our model with data from an experiment using prepared, restaurant-style meals—a good that is transparent in immediate pleasure (taste) but non-transparent in future harm (calories). Our results support the notion that strategic self-ignorance matters: nearly three of five subjects (58 percent) chose to ignore free information on calorie content, leading at-risk subjects to consume significantly more calories. We also find evidence consistent with our model on the determinants of strategic self-ignorance. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
published
subject
keywords
experiment, ignorance, food, harmful activities
pages
38 pages
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
09196c0f-9485-46c0-b0a8-dca9aeba7087 (old id 4153642)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 13:31:44
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:14:36
@misc{09196c0f-9485-46c0-b0a8-dca9aeba7087,
  abstract     = {{We examine strategic self-ignorance—the use of ignorance as an excuse to overindulge in pleasurable activities that may be harmful to one’s future self. Our model shows that guilt aversion provides a behavioral rationale for present-biased agents to avoid information about negative future impacts of such activities. We then confront our model with data from an experiment using prepared, restaurant-style meals—a good that is transparent in immediate pleasure (taste) but non-transparent in future harm (calories). Our results support the notion that strategic self-ignorance matters: nearly three of five subjects (58 percent) chose to ignore free information on calorie content, leading at-risk subjects to consume significantly more calories. We also find evidence consistent with our model on the determinants of strategic self-ignorance.}},
  author       = {{Thunström, Linda and Nordström, Jonas and Shogren, Jason and Ehmke, Mariah and van 't Veld, Klaas}},
  keywords     = {{experiment; ignorance; food; harmful activities}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  title        = {{Strategic Self-Ignorance}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/6142260/4154706.pdf}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}