In this series of essays, we study the influence of weight and group size in the sequential multi-battle contest with laboratory experiences (Chapter 2 and Chapter 3). We then develop an empirical method to model perceptual present and time inconsistency (Chapter 4). Chapter 2 examines how the weight and the ordered weights in battles affect the behavior in sequential multi-battle contests with an experiment. We find robustly that the weight of the current battle consistently influences contestants' efforts. Additionally, we discover the math-point-oriented behavior despite differences in history. In other words, the weight effect is expressed in two ways: influencing the effort of the current battle and transferring a contest to the next battle with a designated intensity. Chapter 3 explores the group size effect and how the contest success functions influence the group size effect in sequential multi-battle contests with an experiment. We capture the negative group size effect on the leaders' efforts, participation and dropout rates; contrarily, the positive effect on the non-leaders' efforts. Compared to the Tullock lottery, the all-pay auction intensifies the group size effect of the high effort in the initial battle. It also enlarges the observed group size effects of the effort gaps between the leaders and the non-leaders. Chapter 4 develops the quasi-hyperbolic discounting model into the general beta-delta model to parametrically detect and measure the inconsistency in revealed time preference. This method empirically classifies time preference into four categories, i.e., time consistent, present bias, future bias, and mixed inconsistent. Then we applied this method to the convex time budget data of seven experiments, including 3670 subjects. We discover empirical evidence supporting perceptual differences in the present-future threshold. Traditional present bias models may interpret the time preference imprecisely. / Doctor of Philosophy / Competition and Time are two essential aspects of life. Many decisions are made in a competitive environment. Some other decisions are made when time serves as a critical factor. We divide this dissertation into two parts. In the first part, we study strategic behavior in competitions. Specifically, we examine how (1) the importance of each round (weight), (2) the number of competitors, and (3) the ambiguity of the rule affect the result of a multi-round competition. In the second part, we study people's subjective understanding of time, generally the personal beliefs and preferences of the present and future. In part one (Chapter 2 and Chapter 3), first, we find people are very responsive about the importance of a round in a multi-round competition. When a round is more important, people make more effort in such round. People are also sensible about the competition's current status (leading, behind, or tied) rather than the history. Second, at the beginning of a competition, we find an increase in the participation rate when fewer competitors exist. Suppose there are more competitors; the leading position players compete more brutally; on the contrary, the non-leading players are discouraged more. Third, people spend more energy when the rule is less ambiguous in a multi-round competition. In part two (Chapter 4), We find a very diversified subjective belief in the word "present." The concept of "now" lasts longer than we conventionally thought. When the subjective "present'' is captured at the individual level, we find the immediate now is not necessarily the best way to represent the "average present'' for the population.

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This thesis is composed of two essays that study behavioral economics to motivate health-promoting behaviors. The first paper, "Does Nutrition Education Reduce Delay Discounting?," studies delay discounting, or delayed gratification, which is an important research topic because it plays a role in producing numerous health outcomes, such as obesity. It is important to understand how the delay discounting process relates to unhealthy diets. People who discount the value of future outcomes prefer immediate rewards (e.g., enjoyment/taste) even though a larger reward from delaying exists (e.g., good health status). In this paper, we aim to provide evidence over whether nutrition education reduces delay discounting. Our analysis, therefore, provides guidance for designing more effective interventions to help increase overall health. The second paper, "Are We Reaching Those Most In Need?: Motivation Profiles and Willingness-to-Participate," explores the potentially negative psychological spillover effects (i.e., "crowding out" effects), which can complicate incentives' effectiveness because it can make targeted behavior (i.e., the aim to improve one's health) less desirable. To understand this "crowding out" effect, our paper examines how different types of motivations (i.e., intrinsic and extrinsic motivations) influence people's willingness-to-participate in a weight control program with and without incentives. This analysis provides further guidance for designing more effective interventions by considering different recruitment strategies to target different individuals, which can minimize the negative spillover of incentives. / Master of Science

本研究從2009-2010全國成人煙草使用率的調查數據，研討不同類型的戒菸方式對於個體行為異質性所造成的影響。先前的研究顯示有意願想要戒菸的吸菸者有外部戒菸控制方式的需求，然而我們無法在有限的研究中找出相同的吸煙者不滿意對於外部戒菸的控制需求。此外我們發現，高成癮率和高程度的吸菸量提高吸煙者對尼古丁替代物或其他藥物的需求。我們在這份研究中甚至發現，無知的雙曲線貼現吸煙者降低外部需求的戒菸者對於禁煙令或香煙稅當中的關係。 / Using data from the 2009-2010 National Adult Tobacco Survey, this study investigates how the heterogeneity of individual behaviors affects demand for different types of cessation supports. Previous studies have demonstrated that smokers with a desire to quit have a demand for external cessation controls, however, there is limited research into how those same smokers demand individual disutility decreasing supports like nicotine replacement or counseling. We find that high addiction and consumption levels increase the demand for nicotine replacement or other medication. We also find support linking naïf hyperbolic discounters to lower demand for external cessation supports like smoking bans or cigarette taxes.