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Do People Care about Social Context? Framing Effects in Dictator Games

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Abstract
Many previous experiments document that behavior in multi-person settings responds to the name of the game and the labeling of strategies. Usually these studies cannot tell whether frames affect preferences or beliefs. In this Dictator game study, we investigate whether social framing effects are also present when only one of the subjects makes a decision, in which case the frame may only affect preferences. We find that behavior is insensitive to social framing.

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  • Dreber, Anna & Ellingsen, Tore & Johannesson, Magnus & Rand, David, 2011. "Do People Care about Social Context? Framing Effects in Dictator Games," SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 738, Stockholm School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:hastef:0738
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    beliefs; preferences; framing effects; altruism; cooperation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C70 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - General
    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers

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