Terms of Desire: How Different Are Urge, Desire, Craving and Temptation?

We differentiated between how people use the terms “desire,” “craving,” “urge,” and “temptation” by randomly assigning undergraduate participants to one of these terms. Participants rated the frequency and strength of their desire/craving/urge/temptation for both long-term goals and short-term hedonic behaviors. We found differences in ratings based on term used.