Free to Choose: Testing the Pure Motivation Effect of Autonomous Choice

Abstract

We conduct an experimental test of the long-standing conjecture that autonomy increases motivation and job performance. Subjects face a menu consisting of two projects: one risky and one safe. The probability that the risky project succeeds depends on the subject's effort. In one treatment, subjects choose a project from the menu; in the other treatment, they are assigned a project from the menu. Using a difference-indifference approach that controls for selection effects, we show that autonomy (the right to choose a project) has a significant pure motivation effect on effort. The effect is consistent with aversion to anticipated regret, but not with standard expectedutility maximization. Futher, as predicted by regret theory, effort on the (chosen) risky project is increasing in the return to the (unchosen) safe project, and the pure motivation effect is greater, the riskier is the risky project. Finally, we find a significant negative relationship between the strength of the pure motivation effect and the subjects' expected earnings.

Self‐nudging contracts and the positive effects of autonomy—Analyzing the prospect of behavioral self‐management

“…The worker anticipates that she will experience regret should the job she took turn out to be inferior to the alternative she dismissed. Now, she invests more effort into the chosen job confirming that she made the right choice in order to avoid future regret costs (Bartling et al, 2014;Bell, 1982;Loomes & Sugden, 1982;Sugden, 1985 connecting regret costs with autonomy; Sjöström et al, 2018). Regret costs are positive as long as the option actually taken is superior to the dismissed alternative.…”

Autonomy and Specificity in Agricultural Technology Adoption: Evidence from Mexico

“…Finally, we contribute to the literature on autonomy, which has emphasized both its intrinsic as well as its instrumental value on participatory decision-making (broadly construed), compliance (Malesky and Taussig, 2019;Dal Bó et al, 2010), effort (Sjöström et al, 2018) and productivity (e.g. Black and Lynch, 2001;Bonin et al, 1993;Spector, 1986).…”