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

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.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2019

Author dc:creator

• Sunderrajan, Aashna

Contributors dc:contributor

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

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

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2019 Aashna Sunderrajan

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

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

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/105053