Motivated Optimism and Workplace Risk
利用COVID-19疫情期间工人返回工作场所的时间变化，研究发现随着返工日期临近，人们对感染风险和健康影响的乐观程度增加，且这种信念扭曲在健康风险较高的人群中更明显。
Abstract We provide field evidence that individuals engage in motivated optimism in the face of impending risk. Congruent with a dynamic anticipatory utility model, we demonstrate that belief distortions are time and stake dependent. Our study leverages variation in the time span between the survey and the externally imposed date when workers are required to return to their workplaces during the COVID-19 pandemic. We show that, as the work return date approaches, individuals become relatively more optimistic about the increased infection risk associated with going back to the workplace, and about how severely their health may be impacted if they get infected. Belief distortions are larger among those facing potential health complications conditional on infection. Our results are informative about when and for whom interventions will be most effective.