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Challenging the Intrapersonal Empathy Gap An Experiment with Self-Commitment Power

Author

Listed:
  • Matthias Uhl

    (Max Planck Institute of Economics, IMPRS "Uncertainty", Jena, Germany)

Abstract

Loewenstein (1996, 2005) identifies an intrapersonal empathy gap. In the respective experiments, subjects make choices with delayed consequences. When entering the state where these consequences would unfold, they get the possibility to revise their initial choice. Revisions are more substantial when these two choices are made in different emotional states. The concept of the empathy gap suggests that the initial choice represents a misprediction of future preferences. However, it might alternatively be based on a well understood disagreement with future preferences. In this sense, people would like to add: "But don't ask me again!" To disentangle both explanations, we induce two different emotional states in each subject and offer a self-commitment device in the first state. In one condition, subjects move from a "cold" state of reflection to a "hot" state of impulsiveness. In the other condition, this order is reversed. We find evidence for the hot-to-cold empathy gap, but not for the cold-to-hot empathy gap when subjects can self-commit to their initial choice.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthias Uhl, 2011. "Challenging the Intrapersonal Empathy Gap An Experiment with Self-Commitment Power," Jena Economics Research Papers 2011-019, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    • Handle: RePEc:jrp:jrpwrp:2011-019
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    File URL: https://oweb.b67.uni-jena.de/Papers/jerp2011/wp_2011_019.pdf
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Sebastian Krügel & Matthias Uhl, 2016. "Choices with Delayed Consequences: Pleasing or Fighting Future Tastes?," MAGKS Papers on Economics 201635, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    2. Krügel, Sebastian & Uhl, Matthias, 2017. "Pleasing or Fighting Future Tastes? Projection Bias versus Conflict of Selves," VfS Annual Conference 2017 (Vienna): Alternative Structures for Money and Banking 168170, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    3. Krügel, Sebastian & Uhl, Matthias, 2023. "Is only one of my selves authentic? An empirical approach," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 102(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Intrapersonal empathy gap; self-commitment; intrapersonal conflict; naiveté; sophistication;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • C90 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - General

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