The value of action: An examination of when and how actions are evaluated more positively than inactions

Sunderrajan, Aashna

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/105053 Copy

Description

Title

The value of action: An examination of when and how actions are evaluated more positively than inactions

Author(s)

Sunderrajan, Aashna

Issue Date

2019-04-18

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Albarracín, Dolores

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Albarracín, Dolores

Committee Member(s)

• Cohen, Dov
• Mehta, Ravi
• Laurent, Sean
• Miller, Andrea

Department of Study

Psychology

Discipline

Psychology

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• action
• inaction
• commission
• omission
• bias
• evaluation
• intentionality

Abstract

Human behavior varies along a continuum of activity, with demanding behaviors characterizing actions and restful states characterizing inactions. Action and inaction are integral components of daily life, affecting our decision-making, goal pursuit, self-regulation, well-being, and health. Understanding how people conceptualize and evaluate action and inaction is thus important. The present research found that actions are perceived differently than inactions (Studies 1-2). People not only evaluate actions more favorably than inactions (Study 3) but prefer to engage in actions over inactions as well (Study 4). This phenomenon is driven by a natural tendency to think of actions as more intentional (Study 5), but making intentionality salient does not always reduce the bias favoring action (Study 6). Balancing action and inaction is important for healthy human functioning, underlining the importance of further understanding evaluative biases in this domain.

Graduation Semester

2019-05

Type of Resource

text

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/105053

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2019 Aashna Sunderrajan

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