University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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

Sunderrajan, Aashna

Content Files
SUNDERRAJAN-DISSERTATION-2019.pdf

Permalink

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

Description

Title
The value of action: An examination of when and how actions are evaluated more positively than inactions
Author(s)
Sunderrajan, Aashna
Issue Date
2019-04-18
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Albarracín, Dolores
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Albarracín, Dolores
Committee Member(s)
  • Cohen, Dov
  • Mehta, Ravi
  • Laurent, Sean
  • Miller, Andrea
Department of Study
Psychology
Discipline
Psychology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Date of Ingest
2019-08-23T20:36:01Z
Keyword(s)
  • action
  • inaction
  • commission
  • omission
  • bias
  • evaluation
  • intentionality
Abstract
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.
Graduation Semester
2019-05
Type of Resource
text
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/105053
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2019 Aashna Sunderrajan

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