Do I really want to know? A cognitive dissonance-based explanation of other-regarding behavior

Astrid Matthey and Tobias Regner

No 2010-077, Jena Economics Research Papers from Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena

Abstract: We investigate to what extent genuine social preferences can explain observed other-regarding behavior. In a dictator game variant subjects can choose whether to learn about the consequences of their choice for the receiver. We find that a majority of subjects showing other-regarding behavior when the payoffs of the receiver are known, choose to ignore these consequences if possible. This behavior is inconsistent with preferences about outcomes. Other-regarding behavior may also be explained by avoiding cognitive dissonance as in Konow (2000). Our experiment's choice data is in line with this approach. In addition, we successfully relate individual behavior to proxies for cognitive dissonance.

Keywords: social preferences; other-regarding behavior; experiments; social dilemma; cognitive dissonance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C72 C91 D01 D80 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010-11-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-evo, nep-exp, nep-neu and nep-upt
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (17)

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Journal Article: Do I Really Want to Know? A Cognitive Dissonance-Based Explanation of Other-Regarding Behavior (2011)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:jrp:jrpwrp:2010-077

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