Malleability of Preferences for Honesty

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Abeler, Johannes; Falk, Armin; Kosse, Fabian
• 署名单位: University of Oxford; University of Bonn; University of Wurzburg
• 刊物名称: ECONOMIC JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0013-0133
• DOI: 10.1093/ej/ueae044
• 发表日期: 2025
• 页码: 982-998
• 关键词: gender-differences; lying aversion; lies; dishonesty; inference; selection; intervention; incentives; EVOLUTION; deception

摘要

Reporting private information is a key part of economic decision-making. A recent literature has found that many people have a preference for honest reporting, contrary to usual economic assumptions. In this paper, we investigate whether preferences for honesty are malleable and what determines them. We experimentally measure preferences for honesty in a sample of children. As our main result, we provide causal evidence on the effect of the social environment by randomly enrolling children in a year-long mentoring programme. We find that, about four years after the end of the programme, mentored children are significantly more honest.