Choosing Between Two Evils: The Determinants of Preferences for Two Equally Goal-Inconsistent Options,

Previous research has examined how people resolve self-control dilemmas in which goal-congruent and goal-incongruent choices are both present. In the present research, however, the participants were asked to choose between two hedonically appealing options that were equally detrimental to a health goal. Six experiments show that activating a health goal decreases the choice share of the more salient, goal-incongruent option, leading the less salient alternative to be chosen instead. This effect occurs without appreciable cognitive deliberation and is evident even when the participants have the option of choosing nothing at all. The potential processes that underlie this effect are discussed.