Future lock-in
Subtitle: or, I'll agree to do the right thing ... next week
By: Todd Rogers and Max H. Bazerman
Contributors: Bazerman, Max H.; Harvard Business School. Division of Research
Series: Working paper / Division of Research, Harvard Business School -- 07-038; Working paper (Harvard Business School. Division of Research) -- 07-038
Publisher: Division of Research, Harvard Business School
Published: 2006
Place of publication: Boston]
Language: eng
Number of pages: 59
Description: When making decisions a person often thinks that she should make certain choices (e.g., increasing savings, reduce gas consumption) but does not want to make them. This intrasubjective tension between "multiple selves" has been referred to as a "want/should" conflict. In four experiments we show that people are more likely to choose what they believe they should choose when the choice will be implemented in the future rather than implemented immediately, a tendency we refer to as "future lock-in." We demonstrate future lock-in for decisions about donation (Study 1), organizations (Study 2), public policy (Studies 3, 4), and self-improvement (Study 3). Consistent with Temporal Construal Theory, we find that future-implemented choices are construed at a higherlevel than immediately-implemented choice, and that this construal difference mediates the increased support for the should-choice resulting from future implementation. We discuss future lock-in in light of hyperbolic discounting, multiple selves, and wise policy design.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.