Strategic ignorance and perceived control

Arbeitspapier

Information can trigger unpleasant emotions. As a result, individuals might be tempted to strategically ignore it. We experimentally investigate whether increasing perceived control can mitigate strategic ignorance. Participants from India were presented with a choice to receive information about the health risk associated with air pollution and were later asked to recall it. Perceived control leads to a substantial improvement in information recall. We find that optimists react most to perceived control, both with a reduction in information avoidance and an increase in information recall. This latter result is supported by a US sample. A theoretical framework rationalizes our findings.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: AWI Discussion Paper Series ; No. 735

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness ; Health and Economic Development ; Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
• Subject: information avoidance ; information recall ; perceived control ; motivated cognition ; air pollution

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Balietti, Anca ; Budjan, Angelika J. ; Eymess, Tillmann ; Soldà, Alice
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): University of Heidelberg, Department of Economics
• (where): Heidelberg
• (when): 2023

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.11588/heidok.00033841
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/283383
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-338419
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET