Lab-Sophistication: Does Repeated Participation in Laboratory Experiments Affect Pro-Social Behaviour?
Experimental social scientists working at research-intensive institutions deal inevitably with subjects who have most likely participated in previous experiments. It is an important methodological question to know whether participants that have acquired a high level of lab-sophistication show altered pro-social behavioral patterns. In this paper, we focus both on the potential effect of the subjects' lab-sophistication, and on the role of the knowledge about the level of lab-sophistication of the other participants. Our main findings show that while lab-sophistication per se does not significantly affect pro-social behaviour, for sophisticated sub-jects the knowledge about the counterpart's level of (un)sophistication may systematically alter their choices. This result should induce caution among experimenters about whether, in their settings, information about lab-sophistication can be inferred by the participants, due to the characteristics of the recruitment mechanisms, the management of the experimental sessions or to other contextual clues.
Year of publication: |
2021
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Authors: | Medda, Tiziana ; Pelligra, Vittorio ; Reggiani, Tommaso |
Publisher: |
Brno : Masaryk University, Faculty of Economics and Administration |
Subject: | Lab-sophistication | Experimental Methodology | External Validity | Pro-social behaviour | Cooperation |
Saved in:
freely available
Series: | MUNI ECON Working Paper ; 2021-06 |
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Type of publication: | Book / Working Paper |
Type of publication (narrower categories): | Working Paper |
Language: | English |
Other identifiers: | 10.5817/WP_MUNI_ECON_2021-06 [DOI] 1757063943 [GVK] hdl:10419/237415 [Handle] RePEc:mub:wpaper:2021-06 [RePEc] |
Classification: | D03 - Behavioral Economics; Underlying Principles ; D83 - Search, Learning, Information and Knowledge ; C91 - Laboratory, Individual Behavior ; C92 - Laboratory; Group Behavior |
Source: |
Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10012604561