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An Experiment on Dilemma Aversion and Information Avoidance

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  • Fabian Bopp

    (Paderborn University)

Abstract

Many people claim to intend to act pro-socially but fail to implement their intention when informing themselves about the consequences of their own action is necessary for a pro-social action. This attitude-behavior-gap is well documented, even in situations where informing can be done without additional costs. One reason for this attitude-behavior gap might be that after being informed the perceived social dilemma is increasing. It might become more obvious that one can not get both an individual and a socially optimal outcome. In this study, I am exploring whether reducing the potential dilemma in the second stage is affecting ignorance behavior in the first stage. Using a novel identification strategy with the disadvantage of a counter-directed confounding factor by defusing the dilemma size, this study finds no evidence for dilemma aversion being an important factor in explaining information avoidance behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabian Bopp, 2023. "An Experiment on Dilemma Aversion and Information Avoidance," Working Papers Dissertations 111, Paderborn University, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:pdn:dispap:111
    as

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    File URL: http://groups.uni-paderborn.de/wp-wiwi/RePEc/pdf/dispap/DP111.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    willful ignorance; strategic ignorance; conflict aversion; dilemma aversion; trade-off aversion;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior

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