nep-cbe New Economics Papers
on Cognitive and Behavioural Economics
Issue of 2006‒11‒12
eight papers chosen by
Marco Novarese
Universita del Piemonte Orientale
  1. Gender and Corruption: Insights from an Experimental Analysis By Vivi Alatas; Lisa Cameron; Ananish Chaudhuri; Nisvan Erkal; Lata Gangadharan
  2. Subject Pool Effects in a Corruption Experiment: A Comparison of Indonesian Public Servants and Indonesian Students By Vivi Alatas; Lisa Cameron; Ananish Chaudhuri; Nisvan Erkal; Lata Gangadharan
  3. Social Consequences of Commitment By Isaac, Alan G
  4. Giving Little by Little By Jack Ochs; John Duffy; Lise Vesterlund
  5. Cooperative Behavior and Social Interaction By Jack Ochs; John Duffy
  6. Reassurance, regret and uncertainty: testing ex ante sources of (dis)utility and the welfarist account of social welfare By Jeff Richardson; John McKie
  7. What if Hayek goes shopping in the bazaar? By Lamieri, Marco; Bertacchini, Enrico
  8. Did F. A. Hayek Embrace Popperian Falsificationism? - A Critical Comment About Certain Theses of Popper, Duhem and Austrian Methodology By van den Hauwe, Ludwig
  1. By: Vivi Alatas; Lisa Cameron; Ananish Chaudhuri; Nisvan Erkal; Lata Gangadharan
    Abstract: In recent years, a substantial body of work has emerged in the social sciences exploring differences in the behavior of men and women in various contexts. This paper contributes to this literature by investigating gender differences in attitudes towards corruption. It departs from the previous literature on gender and corruption by using experimental methodology. Attitudes towards corruption play a critical role in the persistence of corruption. Based on experimental data collected in Australia (Melbourne), India (Delhi), Indonesia (Jakarta) and Singapore, we show that while women in Australia are less tolerant of corruption than men in Australia, there are no significant gender differences in attitudes towards corruption in India, Indonesia and Singapore. Hence, our findings suggest that the gender differences found in the previous studies may not be nearly as universal as stated and may be more culture-specific. We also explore behavioral differences by gender across countries and find that there are larger variations in women’s attitudes towards corruption than in men’s across the countries in our sample.
    Keywords: Gender, Corruption, Experiments, Punishment, Multicultural Analysis
    JEL: C91 J16 K42 O12
    Date: 2006
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mlb:wpaper:974&r=cbe
  2. By: Vivi Alatas; Lisa Cameron; Ananish Chaudhuri; Nisvan Erkal; Lata Gangadharan
    Abstract: We report results from a corruption experiment with Indonesian public servants and Indonesian students. Our results suggest that although both subject pools show a high level of concern with the extent of corruption in Indonesia, the Indonesian public servant subjects have a significantly lower tolerance of corruption than the Indonesian students. We find no evidence that this is due to a selection effect. The reasons given by the public servants for either engaging in or not engaging in corruption suggest that the differences in behavior across the subject pools are driven by their different real life experiences. For example, when abstaining from corruption public servants more often cite the need to reduce the social costs of corruption as a reason for their actions, and when engaging in corruption they cite low government salaries or a belief that corruption is a necessary evil in the current environment. In contrast, students give more simplistic moral reasons. We conclude by arguing that experiments such as the one considered in this paper can be used to measure forward-looking attitudinal change in society and that results obtained from different subject pools can complement each other in the determination of such attitudinal changes.
    Keywords: Corruption, Experiments, Subject Pool Effects
    JEL: C91 D73 O12 K42
    Date: 2006
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mlb:wpaper:975&r=cbe
  3. By: Isaac, Alan G
    Abstract: This paper begins with a detailed computational introduction to a classic ACE model: an evolutionary prisoner's dilemma. The paper presents a simple but fully coded object oriented implementation of this model. (We use the Python programming language, which is shown to be a natural ally for ACE research). Using these tools, we demonstrate that player type evolution is affected by cardinal payoffs. We then explore a possible social benefit to commitment, where 'commitment' denotes an unwillingness to surrender a reciprocal strategy.
    Keywords: ACE; agent-based; computational economics; iterated prisoner's dilemma; evolutionary prisoner's dilemma; commitment
    JEL: C73 C63
    Date: 2006–10–11
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:414&r=cbe
  4. By: Jack Ochs; John Duffy; Lise Vesterlund
    Date: 2006–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pit:wpaper:232&r=cbe
  5. By: Jack Ochs; John Duffy
    Date: 2006–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pit:wpaper:234&r=cbe
  6. By: Jeff Richardson (Centre for Health Economics, Monash University); John McKie (Centre for Health Economics, Monash University)
    Date: 2005–01
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mhe:chewps:2005-153&r=cbe
  7. By: Lamieri, Marco; Bertacchini, Enrico
    Abstract: The paper presents a comparative analysis of the peculiar institutional features of two retail markets: the middle eastern Bazaar and the western Mall (shopping center). We study the informational functions and performance of the different market institutions using an Agent Based Computational Economics (ACE) model under the assumption of behavioral learning by agents. Sellers decide which price setting strategy to adopt whereas buyers form their price beliefs exploring the market and decide which price to accept. The agents learn how to adapt and behave within the specific institutional framework to carry out their economic transactions, but market institutions, as mechanisms to coordinate information of market participants are expected to affect the price dynamics. The main area of interest concerns the question of whether the economic argument on the presumed underperformance of bazaar institutions respect to more competitive markets holds true or it is necessary a reassessment on it.
    Keywords: Agent's beliefs; learning; adaptive behavior; market institutions; price dynamics
    JEL: D80 L10 C70 D40
    Date: 2006–06–21
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:367&r=cbe
  8. By: van den Hauwe, Ludwig
    Abstract: The author of this article argues that Hayek´s methodological outlook at the time he engaged in business cycle research was actually closer to praxeological apriorism than to Popperian falsificationism. A consideration of the Duhem thesis highlights the fact that even from a mainstream methodological perspective falsificationism is more problematic than is often realized. Even if the praxeological and mainstream lines of argumentation reject the Popperian emphasis on falsification for different reasons and from a different background, the prospects for falsificationism in economic methodology seem rather bleak.
    Keywords: General Methodology; Austrian Methodology; Falsificationism; Popper; Hayek; Duhem; Duhemian Argument; Testing of Theories; Meaning and Interpretation of Econometric Results; Correlation and Causality;
    JEL: B20 C10 B23 A12 E32 B53 B40
    Date: 2006
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:609&r=cbe
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