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Self-selection into laboratory experiments: pro-social motives versus monetary incentives

Author

Listed:
  • Johannes Abeler
  • Daniele Nosenzo
Abstract
Laboratory experiments have become a wide-spread tool in economic research. Yet, there is still doubt about how well the results from lab experiments generalize to other settings. In this paper, we investigate the self-selection process of potential subjects into the subject pool. We alter the recruitment email sent to first-year students, either mentioning the monetary reward associated with participation in experiments; or appealing to the importance of helping research; or both. We find that the sign-up rate drops by two-thirds if we do not mention monetary rewards. Appealing to subjects’ willingness to help research has no effect on sign-up. We then invite the so-recruited subjects to the laboratory to measure their pro-social and approval motivations using incentivized experiments. We do not find any differences between the groups, suggesting that neither adding an appeal to help research, nor mentioning monetary incentives affects the level of social preferences and approval seeking of experimental subjects. Copyright Economic Science Association 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Johannes Abeler & Daniele Nosenzo, 2015. "Self-selection into laboratory experiments: pro-social motives versus monetary incentives," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 18(2), pages 195-214, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:expeco:v:18:y:2015:i:2:p:195-214
    DOI: 10.1007/s10683-014-9397-9
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Methodology; Selection bias; Laboratory experiment; Field experiment; Other-regarding behavior; Social preferences; Social approval; Experimenter demand; C90; D03;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C90 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - General
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles

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