Willful ignorance in social decisions: robust, yet contextually sensitive

Zack Grossman and Tony Hua

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: Although humans exhibit many prosocial behaviors, when the social benefits of their options are uncertain, surprisingly many avoid learning them before choosing, using ignorance as an excuse to dodge moral obligations and revert to selfish behavior. This kind of willful ignorance is robust in the sense that researchers have documented it using a wide array of methods, across diverse settings, and a time period spanning nearly two decades. At the same time, however, the degree to which it manifests is inconsistent across and within studies. Some of these inconsistencies stem from obvious factors, while the moderators driving others have yet to be identified or are poorly understood. This study synthesizes and organizes these contextual factors, providing recommendations for future research.

Keywords: Willful ignorance; Situational Excuses; Context Sensitivity; Information Avoidance; Moral Wiggle Room (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C72 C91 D8 D83 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-06
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