Online DVD Rental Patterns for Studying Dynamic Inconsistency

A four-month panel dataset tracks film rental and return patterns of online DVD customers. The data reveals a 2% increase in preference reversals when 'should' DVDs are rented before 'want' DVDs, from a baseline rate of 12%. This field study by Katherine L. Milkman of Harvard University provides evidence of myopia in consumer decisions and learning over time.

Use Cases

• Modeling dynamic inconsistency in consumer choices based on rental order and return patterns.
• Analyzing the duration of DVD rentals to compare 'should' versus 'want' film categories.
• Studying how consumer experience attenuates preference reversals over a four-month period.

Strengths

• Data originates from a real-world field study over a four-month period.
• Findings include specific effect sizes, such as a 2% increase in preference reversals from a 12% baseline.
• Analysis is conducted within-customer, allowing for controlled comparisons of behavior.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Katherine L. Milkman, Harvard University

Collection Method

Field study analyzing rental and return patterns from an online DVD rental service.

Time Range

Study period of four months (specific dates unknown).