2021
Working Paper
HBS Working Paper Series

Information Avoidance and Image Concerns

By: Christine L. Exley and Judd B. Kessler

Format:Print
| Language:English
| Pages:96

Abstract

A rich literature finds that individuals avoid information, even information that is instrumental to their choices. A common hypothesis posits that individuals strategically avoid information to hold particular beliefs or to take certain actions--such as behaving selfishly--with lower image costs. Building off of the classic "moral wiggle room" design, this paper provides the first direct test of whether individuals avoid information because of image concerns. We analyze data from 4,626 experimental subjects. We find that image concerns play a role in driving information avoidance, but a role that is substantially smaller than the common approach in the literature would suggest. The large majority (66% to 81%) of information avoidance remains when image concerns cannot drive avoidance. We find evidence for other reasons why individuals avoid information, such as a desire to avoid interpersonal tradeoffs, a desire to avoid bad news, laziness, inattention, and confusion.

Keywords

Image Motivation; Self-image; Information; Behavior; Identity; Personal Characteristics

Citation

Exley, Christine L., and Judd B. Kessler. "Information Avoidance and Image Concerns." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-080, January 2021.