Option Awareness: The Psychology of What We Consider

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2016
Volume: 106
Issue: 5
Pages: 425-29

Authors (2)

Anuj K. Shah (not in RePEc) Jens Ludwig (University of Chicago)

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

The standard economic view suggests that people will commit an action if its expected benefits outweigh its costs. But before people weigh the costs and benefits of an action, what affects whether they think of the action in the first place? We argue that actions are more likely to enter into consideration when they are cognitively accessible. We describe three psychological parameters that influence accessibility: automatic assumptions, identity, and perceptions of privacy. These parameters make it possible to identify new interventions for behavior change.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:106:y:2016:i:5:p:425-29
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25