Why (field) experiments on unethical behavior are important: Comparing stated and revealed behavior

Yonas Alem, Håkan Eggert, Martin Kocher and Remidius D. Ruhinduka

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2018, vol. 156, issue C, 71-85

Abstract: Understanding unethical behavior is essential to many phenomena in the real world. We carry out a field experiment in a unique setting that varies the levels of reciprocity and guilt in an ethical decision. A survey more than one year before the field experiment allows us to compare at the individual level stated unethical behavior with revealed behavior in the same situation in the field. Our results indicate a strong discrepancy between stated and revealed behavior, regardless of the specific treatment in the field experiment. This suggests that, given a natural setting, people may actually behave inconsistently with the way in which they otherwise “brand” themselves. Our findings raise caution about the interpretation of stated behavioral measures commonly used in research on unethical behavior. In addition, we show that inducing reciprocity and guilt leads to a decrease in unethical behavior.

Keywords: Honesty; Kindness; Guilt; Field experiment; Behavioral economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C93 D01 D03 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Working Paper: Why (field) experiments on unethical behavior are important:Comparing stated and revealed behavior (2016)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:156:y:2018:i:c:p:71-85

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2018.08.026

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