Do I Really Want to Know? A Cognitive Dissonance-Based Explanation of Other-Regarding Behavior
We investigate to what extent genuine social preferences can explain observed other-regarding behavior. In a dictator game variant subjects can choose whether to learn about the consequences of their choice for the receiver. We find that a majority of subjects showing other-regarding behavior when t...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2011-02-01
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| Series: | Games |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4336/2/1/114/ |
| _version_ | 1811276935211253760 |
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| author | Tobias Regner Astrid Matthey |
| author_facet | Tobias Regner Astrid Matthey |
| author_sort | Tobias Regner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We investigate to what extent genuine social preferences can explain observed other-regarding behavior. In a dictator game variant subjects can choose whether to learn about the consequences of their choice for the receiver. We find that a majority of subjects showing other-regarding behavior when the payoffs of the receiver are known, choose to ignore these consequences if possible. This behavior is inconsistent with preferences about outcomes. Other-regarding behavior may also be explained by avoiding cognitive dissonance as in Konow (2000). Our experiment’s choice data is in line with this approach. In addition, we successfully relate individual behavior to proxies for cognitive dissonance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T00:06:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2e20eab008e24bfd816753dbd3ee02b8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4336 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T00:06:40Z |
| publishDate | 2011-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Games |
| spelling | doaj.art-2e20eab008e24bfd816753dbd3ee02b82022-12-22T03:11:13ZengMDPI AGGames2073-43362011-02-012111413510.3390/g2010114Do I Really Want to Know? A Cognitive Dissonance-Based Explanation of Other-Regarding BehaviorTobias RegnerAstrid MattheyWe investigate to what extent genuine social preferences can explain observed other-regarding behavior. In a dictator game variant subjects can choose whether to learn about the consequences of their choice for the receiver. We find that a majority of subjects showing other-regarding behavior when the payoffs of the receiver are known, choose to ignore these consequences if possible. This behavior is inconsistent with preferences about outcomes. Other-regarding behavior may also be explained by avoiding cognitive dissonance as in Konow (2000). Our experiment’s choice data is in line with this approach. In addition, we successfully relate individual behavior to proxies for cognitive dissonance.http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4336/2/1/114/social preferencesother-regarding behaviorexperimentscognitive dissonance |
| spellingShingle | Tobias Regner Astrid Matthey Do I Really Want to Know? A Cognitive Dissonance-Based Explanation of Other-Regarding Behavior Games social preferences other-regarding behavior experiments cognitive dissonance |
| title | Do I Really Want to Know? A Cognitive Dissonance-Based Explanation of Other-Regarding Behavior |
| title_full | Do I Really Want to Know? A Cognitive Dissonance-Based Explanation of Other-Regarding Behavior |
| title_fullStr | Do I Really Want to Know? A Cognitive Dissonance-Based Explanation of Other-Regarding Behavior |
| title_full_unstemmed | Do I Really Want to Know? A Cognitive Dissonance-Based Explanation of Other-Regarding Behavior |
| title_short | Do I Really Want to Know? A Cognitive Dissonance-Based Explanation of Other-Regarding Behavior |
| title_sort | do i really want to know a cognitive dissonance based explanation of other regarding behavior |
| topic | social preferences other-regarding behavior experiments cognitive dissonance |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4336/2/1/114/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tobiasregner doireallywanttoknowacognitivedissonancebasedexplanationofotherregardingbehavior AT astridmatthey doireallywanttoknowacognitivedissonancebasedexplanationofotherregardingbehavior |