The effect of language on economic behavior : examining the causal link between future tense and time preference in the lab
Since Chen (2013), a fast-growing body of literature has documented abundant supporting evidence for the linguistic-savings hypothesis. Despite this influx of research, direct causal evidence is limited. In this study, we take advantage of a unique linguistic feature of the Chinese language: speaker...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2020
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/142990 |
| _version_ | 1826109418834493440 |
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| author | Chen, Josie I. He, Tai-Sen Riyanto, Yohanes Eko |
| author2 | School of Social Sciences |
| author_facet | School of Social Sciences Chen, Josie I. He, Tai-Sen Riyanto, Yohanes Eko |
| author_sort | Chen, Josie I. |
| collection | NTU |
| description | Since Chen (2013), a fast-growing body of literature has documented abundant supporting evidence for the linguistic-savings hypothesis. Despite this influx of research, direct causal evidence is limited. In this study, we take advantage of a unique linguistic feature of the Chinese language: speakers can freely choose whether or not to use the future tense when referring to a future event. This flexibility allows us to unobtrusively manipulate the use of “will” in the description of the rewards in a standard time preference task to cleanly examine its effect on intertemporal decisions. However, our results do not lend further empirical support for the linguistic-savings hypothesis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-10-01T02:17:54Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | ntu-10356/142990 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-10-01T02:17:54Z |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/1429902021-01-28T08:23:51Z The effect of language on economic behavior : examining the causal link between future tense and time preference in the lab Chen, Josie I. He, Tai-Sen Riyanto, Yohanes Eko School of Social Sciences Social sciences::Economic theory::Microeconomics Time Preference Future Tense Since Chen (2013), a fast-growing body of literature has documented abundant supporting evidence for the linguistic-savings hypothesis. Despite this influx of research, direct causal evidence is limited. In this study, we take advantage of a unique linguistic feature of the Chinese language: speakers can freely choose whether or not to use the future tense when referring to a future event. This flexibility allows us to unobtrusively manipulate the use of “will” in the description of the rewards in a standard time preference task to cleanly examine its effect on intertemporal decisions. However, our results do not lend further empirical support for the linguistic-savings hypothesis. Accepted version 2020-07-17T07:43:35Z 2020-07-17T07:43:35Z 2019 Journal Article Chen, J. I., He, T.-S., & Riyanto, Y. E. (2019). The effect of language on economic behavior : examining the causal link between future tense and time preference in the lab. European Economic Review, 120, 103307-. doi:10.1016/j.euroecorev.2019.103307 0014-2921 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/142990 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2019.103307 2-s2.0-85072578924 120 1 12 en European Economic Review © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This paper was published in European Economic Review and is made available with permission of Elsevier Ltd. application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | Social sciences::Economic theory::Microeconomics Time Preference Future Tense Chen, Josie I. He, Tai-Sen Riyanto, Yohanes Eko The effect of language on economic behavior : examining the causal link between future tense and time preference in the lab |
| title | The effect of language on economic behavior : examining the causal link between future tense and time preference in the lab |
| title_full | The effect of language on economic behavior : examining the causal link between future tense and time preference in the lab |
| title_fullStr | The effect of language on economic behavior : examining the causal link between future tense and time preference in the lab |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of language on economic behavior : examining the causal link between future tense and time preference in the lab |
| title_short | The effect of language on economic behavior : examining the causal link between future tense and time preference in the lab |
| title_sort | effect of language on economic behavior examining the causal link between future tense and time preference in the lab |
| topic | Social sciences::Economic theory::Microeconomics Time Preference Future Tense |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/142990 |
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