Change Behavior, Motivation Will Follow(?): Acquired Taste and Incentives

Gretchen Chapman and Uri Gneezy

AEA Papers and Proceedings, 2024, vol. 114, 660-65

Abstract: Whereas it is well established that changing motivation can affect behavior, we pose the opposite question: can changing behavior alter motivation? We examine three phenomena that provide an affirmative answer. Preference discovery occurs when a new behavior (e.g., trying sushi) reveals a previously hidden preference. Acquired tastes are new preferences that develop with repeated behavior (e.g., drinking coffee), often requiring individuals to overcome initial aversions. Habit formation entails a behavior that is initially incentivized but then maintained after the incentive is removed (e.g., maintaining a gym habit). In each case, incentives can catalyze the new motivation.

JEL-codes: D91 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20241088

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