Behavioral Obligation and Information Avoidance

BackgroundAlthough knowledge can be powerful and bring a variety of important benefits, people often opt to remain ignorant.PurposeWe propose that people are particularly inclined to remain ignorant when learning information could obligate undesirable behavior.MethodIn three studies, participants completed an online risk calculator and then learned that receiving high-risk feedback from the calculator would obligate them to engage in a behavior that was either highly undesirable (e.g., undergoing a cervical exam and taking medication for the rest of their life) or only slightly undesirable (e.g., having their cheek swabbed and taking medication for 2 weeks). We then offered participants the opportunity to receive risk feedback from the calculator.ResultsAcross all studies, participants more often avoided feedback when it could obligate highly undesirable behavior compared with mildly undesirable behavior.ConclusionPeople decline learning their risk information more often when doing so obligates undesirable behavior in response.

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