
Consistency in behavioral economics
In behavioral economics, consistency refers to how people's preferences and decisions remain stable over time and across different situations. Ideally, if someone prefers option A over option B today, they should feel the same way tomorrow. However, research shows that people's choices can be inconsistent due to emotions, social influences, or context changes. For example, someone may choose healthy food on Monday but junk food on Friday. Understanding consistency helps explain why we sometimes make choices that contradict our previous beliefs and intentions, highlighting the complexities of human decision-making.