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Keeping doors open: The effect of unavailability on incentives to keep options viable

Publication ,  Journal Article
Shin, J; Ariely, D
Published in: Management Science
January 1, 2004

Many of the options available to decision makers, such as college majors and romantic partners, can become unavailable if sufficient effort is not invested in them (taking classes, sending flowers). The question asked in this work is whether a threat of disappearance changes the way people value such options. In four experiments using "door games," we demonstrate that options that threaten to disappear cause decision makers to invest more effort and money in keeping these options open, even when the options themselves seem to be of little interest. This general tendency is shown to be resilient to information about the outcomes, to increased experience, and to the saliency of the cost. The last experiment provides initial evidence that the mechanism underlying the tendency to keep doors open is a type of aversion to loss rather than a desire for flexibility.

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Published In

Management Science

DOI

ISSN

0025-1909

Publication Date

January 1, 2004

Volume

50

Issue

5

Start / End Page

575 / 586

Related Subject Headings

  • Operations Research
  • 46 Information and computing sciences
  • 38 Economics
  • 35 Commerce, management, tourism and services
  • 15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
  • 08 Information and Computing Sciences
 

Citation

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Shin, J., & Ariely, D. (2004). Keeping doors open: The effect of unavailability on incentives to keep options viable. Management Science, 50(5), 575–586. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1030.0148
Shin, J., and D. Ariely. “Keeping doors open: The effect of unavailability on incentives to keep options viable.” Management Science 50, no. 5 (January 1, 2004): 575–86. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1030.0148.
Shin J, Ariely D. Keeping doors open: The effect of unavailability on incentives to keep options viable. Management Science. 2004 Jan 1;50(5):575–86.
Shin, J., and D. Ariely. “Keeping doors open: The effect of unavailability on incentives to keep options viable.” Management Science, vol. 50, no. 5, Jan. 2004, pp. 575–86. Scopus, doi:10.1287/mnsc.1030.0148.
Shin J, Ariely D. Keeping doors open: The effect of unavailability on incentives to keep options viable. Management Science. 2004 Jan 1;50(5):575–586.

Published In

Management Science

DOI

ISSN

0025-1909

Publication Date

January 1, 2004

Volume

50

Issue

5

Start / End Page

575 / 586

Related Subject Headings

  • Operations Research
  • 46 Information and computing sciences
  • 38 Economics
  • 35 Commerce, management, tourism and services
  • 15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
  • 08 Information and Computing Sciences