TV Channels, Self Control and Happiness

Arbeitspapier

In many countries, TV viewers have access to more and more TV channels. We study whether people can cope with this and watch the amount of TV they find optimal for themselves or whether they are prone to over-consumption. We find that heavy TV viewers do not benefit, but instead report lower life satisfaction when exposed to more TV channels. This finding runs counter to the standard economic prediction that a larger choice set does not make people worse off. It suggests that an identifiable group of persons experience a self-control problem when it comes to TV viewing.

Objekt anzeigen

• Sprache: Englisch

Verweise und Beziehungen

• Erschienen in: Series: WWZ Discussion Paper ; No. 06/03

Klassifikation und Themen

• Klassifikation: Wirtschaft ; Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis ; Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making‡ ; General Welfare; Well-Being ; Time Allocation and Labor Supply
• Thema: Self-control ; over-consumption ; life satisfaction ; experienced utility ; TV viewing ; Fernsehprogramm ; Mediennutzung ; Zufriedenheit ; Europa

Beteiligte, Orts- und Zeitangaben

• Ereignis: Geistige Schöpfung
• (wer): Benesch, Christine ; Frey, Bruno S. ; Stutzer, Alois
• Ereignis: Veröffentlichung
• (wer): University of Basel, Center of Business and Economics (WWZ)
• (wo): Basel
• (wann): 2006

Weitere Informationen

• DOI: doi:10.5451/unibas-ep61253
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/123360