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Cognitive Reflection and Social Proof: Navigating Complex Tax Incentives for Retirement Savings
Thanee Chaiwat1,2, Athiphat Muthitacharoen2, Chanalak Chaisrilak1
1Center for Behavioral and Experimental Economics (CBEE) and Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), Bangkok, Thailand.
Individuals with higher cognitive reflection scores are more likely to use complex retirement tax incentives. Social proof is more influential for those with lower cognitive reflection, impacting retirement savings decisions.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Economics
- Cognitive Psychology
- Public Finance
Background:
- Aging populations necessitate robust retirement financial security.
- Governments use tax incentives to encourage retirement savings.
- Complex tax incentives pose navigation challenges for individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of cognitive reflection and social proof on the utilization of complex retirement tax incentives.
- To understand how individual cognitive abilities and social influences interact in financial decision-making.
Main Methods:
- A survey-based experiment was conducted on Thai taxpayers.
- Participants were presented with varying tax incentive complexity rules and message framing.
- The Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) was used to assess cognitive reflection.
Main Results:
- Higher Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) scores positively correlate with selecting complex tax incentives.
- Cognitive reflection demonstrated a stronger impact on complex incentive utilization than social proof.
- Social proof's influence was more pronounced in individuals with lower cognitive reflection scores.
Conclusions:
- Intrinsic cognitive abilities are crucial for navigating complex financial decisions related to retirement savings.
- The interplay between cognitive abilities and social proof is significant when designing effective retirement saving incentives.
- Policy recommendations should consider individual cognitive differences and social dynamics for optimal incentive design.
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