What we want to do versus what we think we should do
Subtitle: an empirical investigation of intrapersonal conflict
By: Kathleen M. O'Connor ... Max Bazerman ... [et al.].
Contributors: Harvard Business School. Division of Research
Series: Working paper / Division of Research, Harvard Business School -- 02-079; Working paper (Harvard Business School. Division of Research) -- 02-079
Publisher: Division of Research, Harvard Business School
Published: 2002
Place of publication: Boston
Language: eng
Number of pages: 39
Description: People often feel torn between what they want to do and what they believe they should do. As a result, they experience intrapersonal conflict. For example, people know that they should avoid credit card debt, but they want to splurge in just one more purchase. Following Loewenstein's (1996) temporal perspective to understanding internal conflict and inconsistency, we offer three studies that empirically demonstrate 1) a distinction between the want self and the should self, 2) that behavior is more closely linked to the want self, 3) that the want self is the self that is temporally inconsistent, and 4) that adopting a want versus should perspective can have a significant impact on actual behavior.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.