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I'm not too sure I agree with the findings.
1) I don't think an internet survey experiment would ever provide enough real values.
2) I think your actions inside a cafe would be preplanned. If you have to work over lunch, you're going to work over lunch and probably not be super happy about it. If you're just going to eat, taking a primer questionnaire won't make you run home to grab your laptop first.
two thoughts:
1)I think it's really REALLY weird this doesn't work on lower income people. Aren't they, on average, more likely to be working hourly wages, where more time means more money in your pocket?
2) The way the article is written, the cafe followup sounds like stalking, which made me giggle.
@baker- why would the people who were (presumably randomly) assigned to be asked about money have been more likely to have preplanned to work? I mean, you would *think* your actions would be preplanned, but some percentage of people's actions are probably malleable, and influenced by subtle things, like in this study. Or not subtle things. If you go into a cafe and you were planning to work and you run into an old and very dear friend you haven't seen in years who you won't get a chance to see again, are you equally likely to work as if you didn't run into that person? Preplanned does not mean set in stone.
@becca - Ok yeah, I can agree with that. I think the transitions are still a bit lop-sided though. It's a lot easier to go to the cafe with the intention to work and not work compared to going to eat/chat and deciding to work. To me, the study makes sense if there's a base assumption that everyone is going to the cafe to work and then see how the questions change their behavior.
Or I could just be blissfully ignorant because 1) I've never really been to these magical "cafes" before and 2) I try to preplan everything when I go out to eat haha.
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