Essays on Self-Control

Abstract

<p>This dissertation concerns methods to test whether or not self-control</p><p>is costly, the form of temptation, and the affects different assumptions</p><p>about costly self-control and temptation have on optimal borrowing</p><p>and saving mechanisms. The second chapter shows that costly self-control</p><p>and temptation can be differentiated from changing impatience in a</p><p>stochastic income consumption-savings environment. The third chapter</p><p>describes an experiment to test whether subjects have time inconsistent</p><p>preferences, whether self-control is costly, and if so, whether the</p><p>cost of self-control is time dependent. The fourth chapter describes</p><p>the affects on the optimal borrowing and savings mechanisms that assumptions</p><p>about the myopia of temptation and the strength of costly self-control</p><p>have.</p>