Studies of intrapersonal conflict and its implications

About this book

The three papers included in this dissertation all examine intrapersonal conflict, or the conflict people experience when deciding between doing what they want (e.g., watching lowbrow films, spending as if they were wealthier, and eating unhealthy but tasty foods) and what they should (e.g., watching highbrow films, spending more responsibly, and eating healthy foods). The first paper relies on archival data from an online DVD rental company to demonstrate that people procrastinate more about watching should films than want films in the field and that experience reduces this effect. The second paper relies on archival data from an online grocery company to demonstrate that customers buy more expensive baskets of groceries (a want behavior) when they receive an unexpected $10 windfall, and customers also buy more items they would not typically purchase following the receipt of a windfall. The third paper relies on a series of laboratory studies to demonstrate that uncertainty about the future increases an individual's preference for wants over shoulds and that this effect is strongest when uncertainty pertains to similar outcomes.