Getting a yes. An experiment on the power of asking

Lisa Bruttel and Florian Stolley ()

Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), 2020, vol. 86, issue C

Abstract: This paper studies how the request for a favor has to be devised in order to maximize its chance of success. We present results from a mini-dictator game, in which the recipient can send a free-form text message to the dictator before the latter decides. We find that putting effort into the message, writing in a humorous way and mentioning reasons why the money is needed pays off. Additionally, we find differences in the behavior of male and female dictators. Only men react positively to efficiency arguments, while only women react to messages that emphasize the dictators power and responsibility.

Keywords: Dictator game; Communication; Inequality; Text analysis; Experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C91 D64 D83 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Getting a Yes: An Experiment on the Power of Asking (2019)
Working Paper: Getting a Yes. An Experiment on the Power of Asking (2017)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:soceco:v:86:y:2020:i:c:s2214804320301336

DOI: 10.1016/j.socec.2020.101550

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