Shaming as an incentive mechanism against stealing: Behavioral and physiological evidence

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Brocas, Isabelle; Carrillo, Juan D.; Montgomery, Mallory
• 署名单位: University of Southern California; Centre for Economic Policy Research - UK; Amazon.com
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2020.104351
• 发表日期: 2021
• 关键词: Laboratory experiments; Skin conductance; Morality; Non-choice data

摘要

We study experimentally the decision of an individual to steal or pay for an object that is produced at a cost by another individual. We consider two conditions. In the first condition, subjects caught stealing are sanctioned with a nominal fee. In the second condition, the sanction is increased by making the identity of the individual public (shaming). We also collect skin conductance responses to better understand the emotional arousal conducive to choices. Behaviorally, we show that stealing decreases significantly when shaming is introduced. More importantly, the emotional response at the time of decision strongly correlates with behavior. In particular, subjects who are more aroused are more likely to steal in the first condition, and also more likely to stop stealing in the second condition. Based on this physiological evidence, we develop a theoretical model where current decisions contribute to a moral stock, which in turns affects the future cost of stealing and therefore the future decisions. The structural estimation of this model provides a good fit while capturing the heterogeneity across individuals. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.