Kachmarskyy Danylo, Postgraduate student, Department of Economics, Finance, and Accounting PHEI “European University”, Kyiv, Ukraine

ORCID ID: 0009-0001-1420-1730
e-mail: danylokachmarskyy@gmail.com

Behavioral Economics and Anxiety as an Individual Personality Trait

Abstract. Introduction. Scientific interest in behavioral economics has not yet fully addressed research into its impact on human health-preserving behavior. Personal anxiety plays an important role among the factors influencing human behavior.

Purpose. This study aims to establish the relationship between behavioral economics and personal anxiety in relation to health preservation. This will contribute to a better understanding of the emergence of unhealthy behavior, the self-assessment of such behavior, and the formation of mechanisms for creating and applying methods of influencing human behavior based on the principles of behavioral economics.  

Results. The level of anxiety experienced by 376 medical university students was studied based on the results of Charles Spielberger’s questionnaire, which covered topics such as their own behavior, healthy lifestyle and the influence of their social circle on health preservation. It was found that people smoke in an attempt to avoid situations that may cause anxiety. Anxious individuals prefer immediate relief (present bias) to long-term benefits in terms of health. People with high levels of anxiety resist change. If they smoke, they adopt the attitude of ‘leaving everything as it is’, and vice versa: ‘I don’t smoke’ — ‘I will not smoke’. Among non-smokers, 83.71±2.77% have not considered taking up smoking, which is a form of health-promoting behavior for individuals with high levels of personal anxiety. People with social anxiety are more likely to smoke if it is the norm in their social group. This reduces internal discomfort and allows them to “fit in” (88.89±4.28% of respondents in the group of smokers and “do not avoid” and “rather do not avoid” societies where people smoke, compared to 69.10±3.46% of respondents in the group of non-smokers, p<0.001).

Conclusions. Thus, the relationship between anxiety levels and smoking illustrates how a person’s emotional state can shape behavioral patterns, which can be analyzed simultaneously through the lenses of behavioral economics, psychology and medicine. Behavioral economics recognises that people make irrational decisions precisely because of emotional, psychological and cognitive factors, with anxiety playing an important role.

Keywords: behavioral economics, mechanisms, anxiety, health preservation, survey, self-assessment, smoking.

References:

1. Ushkalev, V. V., Martiyanova, M. P. Behavioral aspects of the staff development management personnel in the enterprise. Global and national problems of economy / electronic scientific publication. 2016. Issue 13, pp. 373-378. http://global-national.in.ua/archive/13-2016/13_2016.pdf.
2. Arsandaux, J., Montagni, I., Macalli, M. et al. (2020). Health Risk Behaviors and Self-Esteem Among College Students: Systematic Review of Quantitative Studies. Int.J. Behav. Med. 27, 142–159. DOI: 10.1007/s12529-020-09857-w.
3. Smiyanov, V. A., Kurganskaya, V. O., Smiyanova, O. I., Dryga. N. O. (2019). Public health and behavioral economy. Bulletin of Social Hygiene and Health Protection Organization of Ukraine, 2 (80), 33-39. DOI: 10.11603/1681-2786.2019.2.10477. 
4. Mason, A., Narcum, J., & Mason, K. (2020). Changes in consumer decision-making resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Customer Behaviour, 19(4), 299-321. DOI: 10.1362/147539220X16003502334181.
5. Salloum, M. (2025). Anxiety Effects on Decision Making with College Students. UC Riverside Undergraduate Research Journal Submit. Volume 19, Issue 1. DOI: 10.5070/RJ5.50730. 
6. Zhdanova, O. V. (2025).  Medical and sociological study of the readiness of young students to form a healthy lifestyle and identification of factors influencing motivational mechanisms. Reproductive health of woman, 3 (82), 53-58. DOI: 10.30841/2708-8731.3.2025.329492.
7. Lyubinets, L. A., Shveda, H. P., Kachmarska, M. O. (2023). The degree of anxiety of the average medical staff during the martial law in Ukraine. Ukraine. Nation’s Health, 3 (73), 80-84.  DOI: 10.32782/2077-6594/2023.3/13.
8. Bilonozhko, O. (2024). Health‐saving competence as a component of the professional culture of a teacher: peculiarities of formation in martial law conditions. Bulletin of Postgraduate education: collection of scientific papers. Educational Sciences Series, Issue 29(58), Category «B», 40‐52. DOI: 10.58442/3041‐1831‐2024‐29(58).
9. Yastochkina, Iryna. (2020). Personal anxiety as socio-psychological problem.  Visnyk of the Lviv University. Series Psychological science. Issue 6, 165–170. DOI: 10.30970/2522-1876-2020-6-24. 
10. Bagrin, V. V., Ponomarenko, T. I. (2024). Features of anxiety of student youth. In the book: Society, science, education: current research, theory and practice: abstracts of the All-Ukrainian scientific and practical conference (November 27-28, 2024) / Bila Tserkva Institute of Economics and Management of the University “Ukraine”; edited by Y. Novak; scientific editors T. Kosach, N. Pasichnyk. Bila Tserkva, 255-258. URL: https://bc-uu.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Zb.tez-Vseukr.2024.pdf.
11. Spielberger, Charles D. (1983). State-trait anxiety inventory for adults. (STAI-AD) [Data-base record]. APA PsycTests. 1983. DOI: 10.1037/t06496-000.
12. Blokhina, I. O. (2022). Psychological causes anxiousness of students. Scientific Bulletin of Uzhhorod National University. Series: Psychology, (4), 82-86. DOI: 10.32782/psy-visnyk/2021.4.16.
13. Charpentier, C. J, Aylward, J, Roiser, J. P, Robinson. O. J. (2017). Enhanced Risk Aversion, But Not Loss Aversion, in Unmedicated Pathological Anxiety. Biol Psychiatry. Jun 15, 81 (12), 1014-1022. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.12.010. 
14. Giorgetta, C., Grecucci, A., Zuanon, S., Perini, L., Balestrieri, M., Bonini, N., Sanfey, A. G., Brambilla, P. (2012). Reduced risk-taking behavior as a trait feature of anxiety. Emotion. Dec;12(6):1373-83. DOI: 10.1037/a0029119.
15. Lisetska, I. S. (2021). Types and devices for smoking and their harmful effects on the human body. Ukrainian Journal of Perinatology and Pediatrics, 1 (85), 81-90. DOI: 10.15574/PP.2021.85.81. 
16. Osinsky, M., Klimenko, A. (2022). Study of the impact of smoking on the cardiovascular system of adolescents. Kharkiv forum of natural sciences [Electronic edition]: 5th International conference of young sciences // Kharkiv forum of natural sciences. Kharkiv, May 19-20. 2022 / H. S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, 29-31. URL: https://dspace.hnpu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/11181.
17. Slabkyi, G. A., Kruchanytsia, V. V., Anikienko, D. S. (2022) Adolescent smoking as a public health problem at the regional level. The 11 th International scientific and practical conference “Modern scientific research: achievements, innovations and development prospects” (April 24-26, 2022). MDPC Publishing, Berlin, Germany. 2022, 1006-1013. URL: https://dspace.uzhnu.edu.ua/jspui/handle/lib/40788).
18. Kozii-Bredelieva, S. P., Gutor T. G. (2023). Medico-social portrait of a smoker of electronic cigarettes with nicotine. Bulletin of Social Hygiene and Health Protection Organization of Ukraine, 2 (96), 54-60. DOI: 10.11603/1681-2786.2023.2.14045.   
19. Omelchuk, O. O. (2025). Psychological characteristics of persons with nicotine addiction. Psychological characteristics of people with nicotine addiction. Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University. Lutsk, 99 р. URL: https://evnuir.vnu.edu.ua/bitstream/123456789/27713/1/Omelchuk_2025.pdf.