Keywords
Self-defeating behaviors, Theory, Experiment
Abstract
Why do individuals engage in self-defeating behaviors like self-harm, addiction, and risky sexual behaviors? Why do they experience the apathy of depression or inaction when trapped by multiple competing problems? We propose a framework for explaining these and other related behaviors based on the insight that individuals can only experience a limited number of latent stimuli to which they are exposed. We conduct an experiment to test this model and find that more than two thirds of the subjects behave consistent with our theoretical framework.
Original Publication Citation
“Rationalizing self-defeating behaviors: theory and evidence” (with Lars Lefgren and John Stovall). Journal of Health Economics, 76, 1-14, 2021.
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Lefgren, Lars J. and Stoddard, Olga B., "Rationalizing self-defeating behaviors: Theory and evidence" (2021). Faculty Publications. 5797.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/5797
Document Type
Peer-Reviewed Article
Publication Date
2021
Permanent URL
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/8527
Publisher
Elsevier B.V.
Language
English
College
Family, Home, and Social Sciences
Department
Economics
Copyright Status
© 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Copyright Use Information
https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/