Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/284362 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Series/Report no.: 
Thünen-Series of Applied Economic Theory - Working Paper No. 169
Publisher: 
Universität Rostock, Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliche Fakultät, Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre, Rostock
Abstract: 
Individual paternalistic preferences are central to the question to what extent the state may intervene in the freedom of choice of its citizens. Albeit its practical and theoretical importance, there is yet no incentivised tool to elicit those preferences. In this paper, we present a simple and abstract experiment to elicit paternalistic preferences and also investigate its relationship with individual psychological constructs that are argued to correlate with paternalistic preferences. In line with previous empirical results, our experimental data suggest that paternalistic preferences are indeed heterogeneously distributed in our sample. Moreover, we identify outcome related and autonomy related motives as important factors of paternalistic preferences. More precisely, (especially young) individuals with a strong desire for autonomy are more likely to opt for an informed choice and individuals with a strong focus on the outcome are more likely to opt for an uninformed choice than giving up their autonomy.
Subjects: 
paternalistic preferences
revealed preferences approach
psychology of decision making
autonomous decision making
paternalism
libertarianism
JEL: 
C91
D91
H10
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
843.9 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.