Arbeitspapier

Motivated reasoning, information avoidance, and default bias

We investigate whether the presence of a default interacts with the willingness of decision-makers to gather, process and consider information. In an online experiment, where about 2,300 participants choose between two compiled charity donation options worth $100, we vary the availability of information and the presence of a default. Information avoidance, when possible, increases default effects considerably, manifesting a hitherto undocumented channel of the default bias. Moreover, we show that defaults trigger motivated reasoning: In the presence of a default - even if self-selected-, participants consider new information to a lower degree than without a preselected option.

Sprache
Englisch

Erschienen in
Series: Working Papers in Economics and Statistics ; No. 2022-05

Klassifikation
Wirtschaft
Design of Experiments: General
Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making‡
Thema
Motivated reasoning
information avoidance
defaults
status quo
charitable giving
experiment

Ereignis
Geistige Schöpfung
(wer)
Momsen, Katharina
Schneider, Sebastian O.
Ereignis
Veröffentlichung
(wer)
University of Innsbruck, Research Platform Empirical and Experimental Economics (eeecon)
(wo)
Innsbruck
(wann)
2022

Handle
Letzte Aktualisierung
10.03.2025, 11:43 MEZ

Datenpartner

Dieses Objekt wird bereitgestellt von:
ZBW - Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften - Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft. Bei Fragen zum Objekt wenden Sie sich bitte an den Datenpartner.

Objekttyp

  • Arbeitspapier

Beteiligte

  • Momsen, Katharina
  • Schneider, Sebastian O.
  • University of Innsbruck, Research Platform Empirical and Experimental Economics (eeecon)

Entstanden

  • 2022

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