Expectations vs. reality
This study, which analysed hundreds of variables, not only yielded expected results but also uncovered some surprising ones. While some of the anticipated effects did not materialise, others emerged in unexpected forms, providing valuable insights.
1
Electoral behaviour
The study found no significant changes in the participants' political attitudes. However, this doesn’t rule out the possibility of an influence. It's possible that political attitudes shift over a longer period, or that a state-funded basic income could have a different impact than a donation-based one, as seen in this project. For instance, a state-run pilot project in Finland revealed an increase in trust towards state institutions among basic income recipients.
2
Willingness to take risks
Many people see a basic income as a financial safety net that would allow them to take more risks. However, the pilot project did not discover any significant changes in the basic income group's assessment of their own willingness to take risks.
Nevertheless, their behaviour did change in one respect, which could also be interpreted as a sign of increased openness to risk-taking: they changed jobs more often.
3
Procrastination
Although a basic income offers financial security, it hardly changes individual attitudes such as procrastination.
Procrastination refers to the tendency to postpone tasks to the future in order to avoid having to complete them in the present.
Time-related preferences–i.e., the tendency to make decisions in the present or postpone them to the future (self control)–remain largely stable since they are deeply rooted in the personality.