Paying not to go to the gym
DellaVigna and Malmendier, American Economic Review 96(3), 2006, 694-719. 7,752 members at three US gyms over three years, contract choice and daily attendance. Flat monthly fee a little over 70 dollars; average 4.3 visits a month; more than 17 dollars per visit against 10 dollars per visit on a ten-visit pass; about 600 dollars less over membership on the pass. Authors attribute the pattern mainly to overconfidence about future attendance; cancellation delays also documented.
DellaVigna and Malmendier, American Economic Review 96(3), 2006, 694-719. 7,752 members at three US gyms over three years, contract choice and daily attendance. Flat monthly fee a little over 70 dollars; average 4.3 visits a month; more than 17 dollars per visit against 10 dollars per visit on a ten-visit pass; about 600 dollars less over membership on the pass. Authors attribute the pattern mainly to overconfidence about future attendance; cancellation delays also documented.
Written from the abstract (OpenAlex), 2026-11-07.
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DellaVigna, S., & Malmendier, U. (2006). Paying not to go to the gym. American Economic Review, 96(3), 694-719. doi:10.1257/aer.96.3.694 https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.96.3.694