Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP15645
Authors: Lydia Mechtenberg; Grischa Perino; Nicolas Treich; Jean-Robert Tyran; Stephanie Wang
Abstract: This paper presents a two-wave survey experiment on self-image concerns in moral voting. We elicit votes on the so-called Horncow Initiative. This initiative required subsidization of farmers who refrain from dehorning. We investigate how non-consequentialist and non-deontological messages changing the moral self-signaling value of a Yes vote affect selection and processing of consequentialist information, and reported voting behavior. We find that a message enhancing the self-signaling value of a Yes vote is effective: voters agree more with arguments in favor of the initiative, anticipate more frequently voting in favor, and report more frequently having voted in favor of the initiative.
Keywords: moral bias; voting; multi-wave; field experiment; information avoidance
JEL Codes: C93; D72; D91
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| moral self-signaling value of voting yes (D72) | agreement with pro arguments for the Horncow initiative (P13) |
| high moral signaling message (A13) | likelihood of supporting the Horncow initiative (D79) |
| high moral signaling message (A13) | voting intentions (K16) |
| high moral signaling message (A13) | reported voting behavior (D72) |
| low moral signaling message (A13) | voting behavior (D72) |
| moral self-image concerns (A13) | biased information processing (D91) |