Influence of stress, perceived control, and intrinsic motivation on individual economic decision-making

This PhD dissertation investigates the physiological and psychological factors
that might affect individual economic decision-making, utilizing experimental
economic methods to explore causality. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the subsequent chapters. Chapter 2 examines whether stress harms the rationality of economic decisions, a core assumption in economics. Results confirm that rationality is not impaired by physiological stress. Chapter 3 examines whether the domain-specific perceived control gained in one task affects effort provision and challenge-seeking behavior in another distinct task. The findings reveal that perceived control gained in one specific domain does not easily spill over to another domain. Chapter 4 explores how the method of earning wealth, categorized into low, medium, and high-interest levels, affects charitable donations. Results indicate a clear and significant overall upward trend in donations as task interest and enjoyment increase from low to high levels.