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Effort Aversion: Job choice and compensation decisions overweight effort

Publication ,  Journal Article
Comerford, DA; Ubel, PA
Published in: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
August 1, 2013

The current research proposes that people avoid choosing effortful work even when they predict that it will provide them with a better working experience, a phenomenon we call Effort Aversion. In each of the studies, we presented a choice between an effortless but boring job and an effortful but enjoyable job. Study 1 found that participants were willing to accept lower wages to work at the effortless job, but they preferred the effortful job. This preference reversal is explained by the greater consideration wage setters gave to effort. Study 2 is a consequential lab experiment, in which participants were assigned to work at a job based on the wage they set. Those whose wage demands led them to be assigned to the effortless job experienced lower enjoyment than those who were assigned to the effortful job. Study 3 demonstrates that preference reversal was not attenuated by drawing attention to the hedonic experience afforded by work. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

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Published In

Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization

DOI

ISSN

0167-2681

Publication Date

August 1, 2013

Volume

92

Start / End Page

152 / 162

Related Subject Headings

  • Economics
  • 3801 Applied economics
  • 3502 Banking, finance and investment
  • 1403 Econometrics
  • 1402 Applied Economics
  • 1401 Economic Theory
 

Citation

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Comerford, D. A., & Ubel, P. A. (2013). Effort Aversion: Job choice and compensation decisions overweight effort. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 92, 152–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2013.05.016
Comerford, D. A., and P. A. Ubel. “Effort Aversion: Job choice and compensation decisions overweight effort.” Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization 92 (August 1, 2013): 152–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2013.05.016.
Comerford DA, Ubel PA. Effort Aversion: Job choice and compensation decisions overweight effort. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization. 2013 Aug 1;92:152–62.
Comerford, D. A., and P. A. Ubel. “Effort Aversion: Job choice and compensation decisions overweight effort.” Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, vol. 92, Aug. 2013, pp. 152–62. Scopus, doi:10.1016/j.jebo.2013.05.016.
Comerford DA, Ubel PA. Effort Aversion: Job choice and compensation decisions overweight effort. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization. 2013 Aug 1;92:152–162.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization

DOI

ISSN

0167-2681

Publication Date

August 1, 2013

Volume

92

Start / End Page

152 / 162

Related Subject Headings

  • Economics
  • 3801 Applied economics
  • 3502 Banking, finance and investment
  • 1403 Econometrics
  • 1402 Applied Economics
  • 1401 Economic Theory