Strategic ignorance and perceived control

• Verfasst von: Balietti, Anca [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Budjan, Angelika J. [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Eymess, Tillmann [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Soldà, Alice [VerfasserIn]
• Titel: Strategic ignorance and perceived control
• Verf.angabe: Anca Balietti, Angelika Budjan, Tillmann Eymess, Alice Soldà
• Verlagsort: Heidelberg
• Verlag: Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg
• E-Jahr: 2023
• Jahr: September 13, 2023
• Umfang: 1 Online-Ressource (101 Seiten)
• Illustrationen: Illustrationen, Diagramme
• Gesamttitel/Reihe: AWI discussion paper series ; no. 735 (September 2023)
• DOI: doi:10.11588/heidok.00033841
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-heidok-338419
• Datenträger: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: eng
• Sach-SW: Luftverschmutzung
• Sach-SW: information avoidance
• Sach-SW: information recall
• Sach-SW: perceived control
• Sach-SW: motivated cognition
• Sach-SW: air pollution
• Form-SW: Graue Literatur
• K10plus-PPN: 1860601537
• K10plus-PPN:
  Universitätsbibliothek
• Lokale URL UB: Zum Volltext

Abstract

Information can trigger unpleasant emotions. As a result, individuals might be tempted to strategically ignore it. We experimentally investigate whether increasing perceived control can mitigate strategic ignorance. Participants from India were presented with a choice to receive information about the health risk associated with air pollution and were later asked to recall it. Perceived control leads to a substantial improvement in information recall. We find that optimists react most to perceived control, both with a reduction in information avoidance and an increase in information recall. This latter result is supported by a US sample. A theoretical framework rationalizes our findings.