Rationality requires self-control

• Published in: Acta oeconomica Vol. 60; no. 3; pp. 255 - 273
• Main Author: Lippai, L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01-09-2010
• ISSN: 0001-6373; 1588-2659
• DOI: 10.1556/aoecon.60.2010.3.2

The observation on the phenomenon of consumer self-control is a frontier of economics and psychology which is gaining more and more significance. The objective of the study is to empirically observe the phenomenon above.In this study self-control is defined as the resultant of the intra-psychic and situational variables that influence the power necessary to rationally implement inter-temporal decisions. Based on this concept the present empirical study is to map the respondents’ preference order related to their everyday activities, then examine what happens if the participants are confronted with a decision situation in which following such a preference order is not unconditionally rational from an economic point of view.The results show that only 31.6 percent of the 279 respondents giving estimable answers decided in harmony with the preference order expressed at an earlier phase of the study when they faced the tempting decision situation mentioned above.