80 – Impatience, Anticipatory Feelings and Uncertainty:A Dynamic Experiment on Time Preferences

Abstract

We study time preferences in a real-effort experiment with a one-month horizon. We report that two thirds of choices suggest negative time preferences.

Moreover, choice reversal over time is common even if temptation plays no role.

We propose and measure three distinct concepts of choice reversal over time to study time consistency.

This evidence calls for an important role for anticipatory feelings and uncertainty in intertemporal behavior.

 

 

JEL codes: C91, D01, D80, D90

Keywords: negative time preferences, choice reversal, risk, time inconsistency, real effort experiment