{"id":4735,"date":"2026-01-30T10:03:37","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T10:03:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/franziskafrank.com\/wp\/?page_id=4735"},"modified":"2026-02-10T10:32:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T10:32:11","slug":"mental-accounting","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/franziskafrank.com\/en\/mental-accounting\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental Accounting"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"4735\" class=\"elementor elementor-4735\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-613cfef e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"613cfef\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3e8fb14 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3e8fb14\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Mental Accounting<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b951eaf elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"b951eaf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"av-container av-main-survey Custom-quizz\">\n   <!-- Question 1 & 2 -->\n   <div class=\"question-section active\" id=\"\">\n      <h3>Question 1<\/h3>\n        <p>\n    <strong>\n      Please assume that you love opera. Otherwise, replace the opera with a concert,\n      cinema, or another event you enjoy.\n    <\/strong>\n  <\/p>\n\n   <p>\n    Two weeks ago, you reserved an opera ticket for <strong>\u20ac100<\/strong>.\n    Today, on your way to the opera, you realize that you have <strong>lost \u20ac100<\/strong>.\n  <\/p>\n \n     <p><strong>Would you still buy the ticket?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n      <div class=\"radio-group\">\n         <div class=\"radio-option\">\n           <input type=\"radio\" name=\"q1\" id=\"q1a\">\n            <label for=\"q1a\">Yes<\/label>\n         <\/div>\n         <div class=\"radio-option\">\n      <input type=\"radio\" name=\"q1\" id=\"q1b\">\n            <label for=\"q1b\">No<\/label>\n         <\/div>\n       \n      <\/div>\n        <div class=\"quiz-error\"><\/div>\n\n        <div class=\"button-group\">\n         <button type=\"button\" class=\"quiz-btn next-btn\">\n            Continue\n         <\/button>\n      <\/div>\n   <\/div>\n<div class=\"question-section\">\n  <h3>Question 2<\/h3>\n  <p><strong>Please indicate whether you would prefer to experience the following events bundled on one day or spread out across different days.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"slider-container\">\n  <label><strong>Sprain ankle etc<\/strong><\/label>\n  <input type=\"range\" id=\"slider1\" min=\"0\" max=\"100\" value=\"51\" oninput=\"updateSlider('slider1','value1')\">\n  <div class=\"slider-value\"><span id=\"value1\">51<\/span>%<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"slider-container\">\n  <label><strong>Meet partner ...<\/strong><\/label>\n  <input type=\"range\" id=\"slider2\" min=\"0\" max=\"100\" value=\"19\" oninput=\"updateSlider('slider2','value2')\">\n  <div class=\"slider-value\"><span id=\"value2\">19<\/span>%<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"slider-container\">\n  <label><strong>Dying<\/strong><\/label>\n  <input type=\"range\" id=\"slider3\" min=\"0\" max=\"100\" value=\"29\" oninput=\"updateSlider('slider3','value3')\">\n  <div class=\"slider-value\"><span id=\"value3\">29<\/span>%<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"slider-container\">\n  <label><strong>Party<\/strong><\/label>\n  <input type=\"range\" id=\"slider4\" min=\"0\" max=\"100\" value=\"35\" oninput=\"updateSlider('slider4','value4')\">\n  <div class=\"slider-value\"><span id=\"value4\">35<\/span>%<\/div>\n<\/div>\n  <div class=\"button-group\">\n    <button type=\"button\" class=\"quiz-btn next-btn\">Continue<\/button>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n   <div class=\"question-section\" id=\"\">\n      <h3>Question 3<\/h3>\n      <p><strong>Imagine you have decided to see a play and the admission is $50 per ticket. As you enter the theater, you discover that you have lost the ticket you already paid for. The seat was not marked, and the ticket cannot be recovered.\n         <\/strong>\n      <\/p>\n      <\/p>\n      <div class=\"radio-group\">\n         <div class=\"radio-option\">\n         <input type=\"radio\" name=\"q3\" id=\"q3a\">\n            <label for=\"q3a\">Yes<\/label>\n         <\/div>\n         <div class=\"radio-option\">\n           <input type=\"radio\" name=\"q3\" id=\"q3b\">\n            <label for=\"q3b\">No<\/label>\n         <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n              <div class=\"quiz-error\"><\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"button-group\">\n  <button type=\"button\" class=\"quiz-btn next-btn\">\n    Submit\n  <\/button>\n<\/div>\n   <\/div>\n   <div class=\"explanation-box\" id=\"\">\n      \n         <h4>What this quiz measures<\/h4>\n         <p> <strong>Questions 1 and 3 <\/strong> are about mental accounting, while <strong>Question 2 <\/strong> is about hedonic editing.\n         <\/p>\n         <p>Human brains have a tendency to optimize for joy. This works in two main ways. In Questions 1 and 3, many people behave inconsistently: they are more likely to buy a new ticket if they lost the money, but less likely to buy it again if they lost the ticket.<\/p>\n         <p>Why does this happen? Subconsciously, we tend to organize money into mental \u201cdrawers\u201d or budgets \u2014 for example, a certain amount per month for clothing, food, or entertainment.\n         <\/p>\n         <p>If a ticket is lost, it often feels as if the entertainment budget has already been spent, so buying another ticket feels like exceeding that budget. When the money itself is lost, however, it has not yet been assigned to any specific mental drawer. As a result, many people are more willing to buy the ticket again.<\/p>\n    \n\n      <p>\n         This question is closely connected to <strong>hedonic editing<\/strong> \u2014\n         the tendency to optimize how we mentally bundle experiences in order to\n         maximize subjective well-being.\n      <\/p>\n      <p>\n         In general, people prefer to <strong>separate positive experiences<\/strong>\n         and <strong>bundle negative ones<\/strong>, unless the negative experiences\n         are perceived as too severe.\n      <\/p>\n      <div id=\"after-q1-and-q2-feedback\" style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\">\n         <ul>\n            <li>\n               <strong>\u2248 60%<\/strong> prefer to experience\n               <em>\u201csprain an ankle, sign a loan application, argue with your boss\u201d<\/em>\n               on the <strong>same day<\/strong>.\n            <\/li>\n            <li>\n               Only <strong>\u2248 15%<\/strong> want to experience\n               <em>\u201cmeet your future life partner, inherit a small fortune, get promoted\u201d<\/em>\n               on <strong>one single day<\/strong>.\n            <\/li>\n            <li>\n               Between <strong>15% (Western cultures)<\/strong> and\n               <strong>30% (Eastern cultures)<\/strong> are willing to bundle\n               <em>very severe negative events<\/em> into one day.\n            <\/li>\n            <li>\n               About <strong>\u2248 20%<\/strong> prefer to bundle moderately positive events,\n               such as <em>a tax refund, praise from the boss, and a surprise birthday\n               party<\/em>, into one especially memorable day.\n            <\/li>\n         <\/ul>\n         <p>\n            These preferences reflect how individuals unconsciously organize experiences\n            to optimize thinking and feeling for joy. Hedonic editing is another clear\n            example of the automatisms that guide human decision-making.\n         <\/p>\n      <\/div>\n    <!-- <div class=\"button-group\">\n  <button type=\"button\" class=\"quiz-btn next-btn\">\n    Submit\n  <\/button>\n<\/div> -->\n         <\/div>\n<div class=\"quiz-error\"><\/div>\n\n   <\/div>\n\n\n<script>\ndocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function () {\n\n  const quiz = document.querySelector(\".Custom-quizz\");\n  const questions = quiz.querySelectorAll(\".question-section\");\n  const explanation = quiz.querySelector(\".explanation-box\");\n  const nextButtons = quiz.querySelectorAll(\".next-btn\");\n\n  \/* ---------------------------\n     RADIO SELECTED STATE\n  ---------------------------- *\/\n  quiz.querySelectorAll(\".radio-option input[type='radio']\").forEach(radio => {\n    radio.addEventListener(\"change\", function () {\n      const question = this.closest(\".question-section\");\n\n      question.querySelectorAll(\".radio-option\")\n        .forEach(opt => opt.classList.remove(\"selected\"));\n\n      this.closest(\".radio-option\").classList.add(\"selected\");\n\n      \/\/ hide error when user selects an option\n      const error = question.querySelector(\".quiz-error\");\n      if (error) error.classList.remove(\"active\");\n    });\n  });\n\n  \/* ---------------------------\n     QUIZ FLOW + INLINE ERROR\n     Skip validation for Question 2 (sliders)\n  ---------------------------- *\/\n  nextButtons.forEach((btn, index) => {\n    btn.addEventListener(\"click\", function () {\n      const question = questions[index];\n      const error = question.querySelector(\".quiz-error\");\n\n      \/\/ Only validate for Q1 and Q3 (radio questions)\n      if (index !== 1) { \/\/ Question 2 is index 1\n        const hasAnswer = question.querySelector(\"input[type='radio']:checked\") ||\n                          question.querySelector(\"input[type='checkbox']:checked\");\n\n        if (!hasAnswer) {\n          if (error) {\n            error.textContent = \"Please select an answer\";\n            error.classList.add(\"active\");\n          }\n          return;\n        }\n      }\n\n      question.classList.remove(\"active\");\n\n      if (!questions[index + 1]) {\n        explanation.classList.add(\"active\");\n        return;\n      }\n\n      questions[index + 1].classList.add(\"active\");\n    });\n  });\n\n});\n<\/script>\n\n\n<script>\nfunction updateSlider(sliderId, valueId) {\n    const slider = document.getElementById(sliderId);\n    const valueSpan = document.getElementById(valueId);\n    const min = slider.min;\n    const max = slider.max;\n    const value = slider.value;\n\n    valueSpan.textContent = value;\n\n    const percent = ((value - min) \/ (max - min)) * 100;\n\n    slider.style.background = `linear-gradient(to right, rgb(200, 144, 0) 0%, rgb(200, 144, 0) ${percent}%, rgb(221, 221, 221) ${percent}%, rgb(221, 221, 221) 100%)`;\n}\n\n['slider1','slider2','slider3','slider4'].forEach(id => updateSlider(id, 'value' + id.slice(-1)));\n<\/script>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1e97c98 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"1e97c98\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mental Accounting Question 1 Please assume that you love opera. Otherwise, replace the opera with a concert, cinema, or another event you enjoy. Two weeks ago, you reserved an opera ticket for \u20ac100. Today, on your way to the opera, you realize that you have lost \u20ac100. Would you still buy the ticket? Yes No [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4735","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mental Accounting - Dr. Franziska Frank<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/franziskafrank.com\/en\/mental-accounting\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mental Accounting - Dr. Franziska Frank\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mental Accounting Question 1 Please assume that you love opera. Otherwise, replace the opera with a concert, cinema, or another event you enjoy. Two weeks ago, you reserved an opera ticket for \u20ac100. Today, on your way to the opera, you realize that you have lost \u20ac100. Would you still buy the ticket? 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