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Revealing Naïveté and Sophistication from Procrastination and Preproperation

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  • David Freeman

    (Simon Fraser University)

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel way of distinguishing whether a person is naïve or sophisticated about their own dynamic inconsistency using only their task completion behaviour. I show that adding an extra opportunity to complete the task that goes unused can lead a naïve (but not a sophisticated) person to complete it even later, and can lead a sophisticated (but not a naïve) person to complete the task even earlier. These results provide the framework for revealing the preference and sophistication types studied in O’Donoghue and Rabin (1999) from behaviour in a generalization of their environment.

Suggested Citation

  • David Freeman, 2016. "Revealing Naïveté and Sophistication from Procrastination and Preproperation," Discussion Papers dp16-11, Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University.
    • Handle: RePEc:sfu:sfudps:dp16-11
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. David J. Freeman & Kevin Laughren, 2024. "Task completion without commitment," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 27(2), pages 273-298, April.
    2. David S. Ahn & Ryota Iijima & Todd Sarver, 2017. "Naivet� About Temptation and Self-Control: Foundations for Naive Quasi-Hyperbolic Discounting," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2099, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    3. Ahn, David S. & Iijima, Ryota & Sarver, Todd, 2020. "Naivete about temptation and self-control: Foundations for recursive naive quasi-hyperbolic discounting," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    4. Xi Zhi Lim, 2021. "Ordered Reference Dependent Choice," Papers 2105.12915, arXiv.org, revised Feb 2024.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    sophistication; naïveté; procrastination; preproperation; task completion; present bias; time inconsistency;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • D84 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Expectations; Speculations
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General

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