Working Paper: NBER ID: w15654
Authors: Nicole M. Baran; Paola Sapienza; Luigi Zingales
Abstract: We show that a measure of reciprocity derived from the Berg et al. (1995) trust game in a laboratory setting predicts the reciprocal behavior of the same subjects in a real-world situation. By using the Crowne and Marlowe (1960) social desirability scale, we do not find any evidence that a desire to conform to social norms distorts results in the lab, yet we do find evidence that it affects results in the field.
Keywords: social preferences; trust game; reciprocity; alumni donations
JEL Codes: C9; D64; H41
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| reciprocity measure from the trust game (C71) | real-world donation behavior (D64) |
| fraction of the amount returned by the responder in the trust game (C71) | amount donated to the university (D64) |
| lab measures (C91) | real-world behavior (C91) |
| donation amount (D64) | social pressure (C92) |
| demographic controls (J11) | causal claims (C22) |