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The Hot–Cold Decision Triangle: A framework for healthier choices

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Abstract

People often behave in ways that are clearly detrimental to their health. We review representative research on unhealthy behaviors within a parsimonious framework, the Hot-Cold Decision Triangle. Through this framework, we describe how when people embrace colder state reasoning—instead of risking the pitfalls of heuristics and visceral reactions—they are more likely to behave healthily. We also illustrate how some heuristics and visceral urges can be leveraged to encourage healthier choices. We conclude by discussing unexplored research directions, as well as substantive implications for individuals, marketers, and policymakers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INSEAD, Singapore, Singapore

    Haiyang Yang & Ziv Carmon

  2. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Barbara Kahn & Kevin Volpp

  3. University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Anup Malani

  4. Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Janet Schwartz

  5. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Brian Wansink

Authors
  1. Haiyang Yang
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  2. Ziv Carmon
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  3. Barbara Kahn
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  4. Anup Malani
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  5. Janet Schwartz
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  6. Kevin Volpp
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  7. Brian Wansink
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Correspondence to Haiyang Yang or Ziv Carmon.

Additional information

This article has benefited from the input from Dan Ariely, Bronwyn Fryer, Lori Melichar, Peter Ubel, and Kevin Weinfurt. The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by INSEAD R&D and the INSEAD Alumni Fund.

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Yang, H., Carmon, Z., Kahn, B. et al. The Hot–Cold Decision Triangle: A framework for healthier choices. Mark Lett 23, 457–472 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-012-9179-0

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