title: A "present" for the future: the unexpected value of rediscovery.
abstract: Although documenting everyday activities may seem trivial, four studies reveal that creating records of the present generates unexpected benefits by allowing future rediscoveries. In Study 1, we used a time-capsule paradigm to show that individuals underestimate the extent to which rediscovering experiences from the past will be curiosity provoking and interesting in the future. In Studies 2 and 3, we found that people are particularly likely to underestimate the pleasure of rediscovering ordinary, mundane experiences, as opposed to extraordinary experiences. Finally, Study 4 demonstrates that underestimating the pleasure of rediscovery leads to time-inconsistent choices: Individuals forgo opportunities to document the present but then prefer rediscovering those moments in the future to engaging in an alternative fun activity. Underestimating the value of rediscovery is linked to people's erroneous faith in their memory of everyday events. By documenting the present, people provide themselves with the opportunity to rediscover mundane moments that may otherwise have been forgotten.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Business School, Harvard University tzhang@hbs.edu.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Harvard Business School, Harvard University.
authors.forename: Tami
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Harvard Business School, Harvard University.
authors.forename: Alison Wood
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.affiliation: Harvard Business School, Harvard University.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gino
authors.affiliation: Harvard Business School, Harvard University.
authors.forename: Michael I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Norton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D057181:Pleasure; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: affective forecasting; curiosity; interest; memory; open data; open materials; rediscovery