In prosocial decisions, decision-makers are inherently uncertain about how their decisions impact others’ utility – we call this interpersonal uncertainty. We show that people’s response to interpersonal uncertainty shapes well-known patterns of prosocial behavior. First, using standard...

Ambiguous prospects are ubiquitous in social and economic life, but the psychological foundations of behavior under ambiguity are still not well understood. One of the most robust empirical regularities is the strong correlation between attitudes towards ambiguity and compound risk which...

This study investigates dishonest behavior among cocoa middlemen in Côte d'Ivoire, focusing on the role of observability and financial penalties in deterring such behavior. Using on a modified version of the "die-under-cup task", we examine the cheating behaviors of 151 cocoa middlemen over...

We investigate whether violations of canonical axioms of choice under risk are mistakes or a manifestation of true preferences. First, we elicit axiom and gamble preferences and then allow subjects to revise their potentially conflicting preferences. Among the behavioral patterns that allow for...

In prosocial decisions, decision-makers are inherently uncertain about how their decisions impact others' utility - we call this interpersonal uncertainty. We show that people's response to interpersonal uncertainty shapes well-known patterns of prosocial behavior. First, using standard social...

Study abroad migration is the fastest growing international migration flow. However, the college completion rates of students from low-income countries are often modest in OECD countries, raising the hypothesis that these migrants are poorly informed about the costs and benefits of their...

Ambiguous prospects are ubiquitous in social and economic life, but the psychological foundations of behavior under ambiguity are still not well understood. One of the most robust empirical regularities is the strong correlation between attitudes towards ambiguity and compound risk which...

Many economic agents, including CEOs, physicians, entrepreneurs, and political leaders are entrusted with decision-making authority. These economic agents act as trustees who make risky decisions, impacting their own welfare and that of their stakeholders. Stakeholders often demand measures to...

Trust is a key factor affecting investors' decisions to invest in other agents. These “trustee-agents” use an investor's funds to engage in unique risky opportunities. However, little is known about trustee reciprocity in such environments. Our experimental environment is the first to...

Receiving a gift can create an impulse to reciprocate, even when doing so may be inefficient and potentially harmful to a third party. For instance, after receiving bribes, people may exhibit impulses to reciprocate. This paper provides a theoretical framework for a pure gift effect on...