Conveniently dependent or naively overconfident? An experimental study on the reaction to external help

Jacquelyn Zhang, Zhicheng Xu, Marco A. Palma

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

    Abstract

    The rapid development and diffusion of new technologies such as automation and artificial intelligence makes life more convenient. At the same time, people may develop overdependence on technology to simplify everyday tasks or to reduce the level of effort required to accomplish them. We conduct a two-phase real-effort laboratory experiment to assess how external assistance affects subsequent revealed preferences for the convenience of a lower level of effort versus monetary rewards requiring greater effort. The results suggest that men treated with external help in the first phase tend to choose more difficult options with potentially higher monetary rewards. In contrast, after being treated with external help, women exhibit a stronger propensity to utilize the convenience of an easier task and are less likely to choose a more difficult option that carries higher potential earnings.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalPLOS ONE (Public Library of Science)
    Volume14
    Issue number5
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2019

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