Free to Choose: An Experimental Investigation of the Value of Free Choice

CERGE-EI Working Paper Series No. 492

31 Pages Posted: 12 Oct 2013 Last revised: 14 Oct 2013

See all articles by Lasha Lanchava

Lasha Lanchava

Charles University in Prague - CERGE-EI, a joint workplace of Charles University and the Economics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Date Written: October 1, 2013

Abstract

This study is the first economic experiment that tests the economic significance of the theory of psychological reactance (Brehm, 1966). For this purpose, I design an economic experiment in which subjects are asked to express their valuation of two-choice situations. In one case, subjects are given absolute freedom, whereas in another, the extent of their freedom of choice is limited. As the experimental data revealed, subjects’ valuation of free and limited choice situations did not differ significantly. Thus, in the experiment, the subjects did not display signs of reactance. In the end, the potential reasons of why the subjects did not exhibit reactance are discussed. The lessons derived from this study may serve as a future guide for testing the economic significance of the reactance theory.

Keywords: psychological reactance, freedom of choice, law enforcement

JEL Classification: K0, C90, A1

Suggested Citation

Lanchava, Lasha, Free to Choose: An Experimental Investigation of the Value of Free Choice (October 1, 2013). CERGE-EI Working Paper Series No. 492, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2339122 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2339122

Lasha Lanchava (Contact Author)

Charles University in Prague - CERGE-EI, a joint workplace of Charles University and the Economics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences ( email )

Politickych veznu 7
Prague, 111 21
Czech Republic

HOME PAGE: http://www.cerge-ei.cz

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