Cheating in the Lab Predicts Fraud in the Field: An Experiment in Public Transportations

Zhixin Dai, Fabio Galeotti and Marie Claire Villeval

No 9702, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We conduct an artefactual field experiment using a diversified sample of passengers of public transportations to study attitudes towards dishonesty. We find that the diversity of behavior in terms of dis/honesty in laboratory tasks and in the field correlate. Moreover, individuals who have just been fined in the field behave more honestly in the lab than the other fare-dodgers, except when context is introduced. Overall, we show that simple tests of dishonesty in the lab can predict moral firmness in life, although frauders who care about social image cheat less when behavior can be verified ex post by the experimenter.

Keywords: dishonesty; fare-dodging; field experiment; external validity; public transportations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: B41 C91 C93 K42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 67 pages
Date: 2016-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (39)

Published - revised version published in: Management Science, 2018, 64 (3), 1081-1100.

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Related works:
Journal Article: Cheating in the Lab Predicts Fraud in the Field: An Experiment in Public Transportation (2018)
Working Paper: Cheating in the Lab Predicts Fraud in the Field: An experiment in public transportations (2018)
Working Paper: Cheating in the Lab Predicts Fraud in the Field: An Experiment in Public Transportations (2016)
Working Paper: Cheating in the Lab Predicts Fraud in the Field: An Experiment in Public Transportations (2016)
Working Paper: Cheating in the Lab Predicts Fraud in the Field An Experiment in Public Transportations (2016)
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