Awareness of low self-control: Theory and evidence from a homeless shelter

Incekara-Hafalir, E; Linardi, S

Awareness of low self-control: Theory and evidence from a homeless shelter

Incekara-Hafalir, E

Linardi, S

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Economic Psychology, 2017, 61 pp. 39 - 54
Issue Date:: 2017-08-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Incekara-Hafalir, E https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3961-0124	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Linardi, S	en_US
dc.date.available	2020-09-01T19:02:11Z
dc.date.issued	2017-08-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Economic Psychology, 2017, 61 pp. 39 - 54	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0167-4870	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/115606
dc.description.abstract	© 2017 Survey measures of self-control provide a potential low-cost alternative to incentivized elicitation. However, asking respondents to introspect on their self-control problems may instead measure their awareness of them, especially in populations with low self-control. We illustrate this with the Ameriks, Caplin, Leahy, and Tyler (2007) survey, which captures self-control problems through the deviation between self-reported ideal and predicted behavior (Expected Deviation, ED). Previous empirical evidence from high income or highly educated populations correlates larger ED with worse outcomes. We theoretically show that the reverse will be true in settings where awareness can play a large role: when self-control is low and costly commitment devices are available. We empirically show that, for residents of a homeless shelter, ED is positively correlated to savings in shelter lockboxes, a costly commitment device. This correlation is stronger for those likely to experience more self-control problems: individuals with past addiction problems.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Economic Psychology	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.joep.2017.02.015	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Economics	en_US
dc.title	Awareness of low self-control: Theory and evidence from a homeless shelter	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	61	en_US
utslib.for	1402 Applied Economics	en_US
utslib.for	1701 Psychology	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business/Economics Discipline
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	61	en_US

Abstract:

© 2017 Survey measures of self-control provide a potential low-cost alternative to incentivized elicitation. However, asking respondents to introspect on their self-control problems may instead measure their awareness of them, especially in populations with low self-control. We illustrate this with the Ameriks, Caplin, Leahy, and Tyler (2007) survey, which captures self-control problems through the deviation between self-reported ideal and predicted behavior (Expected Deviation, ED). Previous empirical evidence from high income or highly educated populations correlates larger ED with worse outcomes. We theoretically show that the reverse will be true in settings where awareness can play a large role: when self-control is low and costly commitment devices are available. We empirically show that, for residents of a homeless shelter, ED is positively correlated to savings in shelter lockboxes, a costly commitment device. This correlation is stronger for those likely to experience more self-control problems: individuals with past addiction problems.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/115606