With broad goals in mind, people said they would save more of an unexpected sum
Students in Poland divided an imaginary lottery prize: 59% for saving when thinking about broad goals, and 43% when thinking about concrete actions.
The key idea
Thinking about broad goals was associated with saying one would save more of an imaginary unexpected sum. Actual saving was not measured.
The study, in plain language
Before making a money decision, participants were guided to think in one of two ways: focus on broad goals or on concrete actions. Two experiments used university students, and a third recruited adults from the community. All three compared stated willingness to save under these different frames.
In the third experiment, participants imagined receiving an unexpected sum of money and decided how much to save. The group focused on the general goal allocated a larger share to saving than the group focused on concrete details. The measure was what they said they would do in that situation.
What they found
- The study compared two ways of thinking before deciding: broad goals or concrete actions.
- In the third test, the broad-goal group said it would save a larger share of the prize.
- The difference concerned the share of imaginary money participants said they would save, not actual savings.
Something to think about
Next time you set a savings goal, notice whether you think about a big goal or concrete steps. In this study, the difference appeared in what people said they would do, not in their actual savings.
How they studied it
Three experiments were conducted in Poland: the first two with university students and the third with adults in the community who had income and tried to save. In the third study, 79 people chose how much of an imaginary unexpected sum they would save after thinking in a general or concrete way. Actual saving was not measured.
What the study cannot show
- Decisions were stated and hypothetical; bank transactions were not observed.
- Results from one task do not show whether the effect lasts over time or applies to other populations.
The original study
If you want to save, focus on the forest rather than on trees. The effects of shifts in levels of construal on saving decisions
Source under CC BY 4.0. English adaptation and explanation by PaperFlow, with AI assistance. The text has been reorganized for a general audience; it is not the complete paper and does not imply endorsement by its authors.
One study alone does not represent a field's consensus. Educational content does not replace professional advice. Report a possible error.
