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Testing Social Preferences for an Economic “Bad”: An Artefactual Field Experiment

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  • Deborah Kerley Keisner
  • Kent D. Messer
  • William D. Schulze
  • Homa Zarghamee

Abstract

We test for social preferences over a commodity in an artefactual field experiment using the random price voting mechanism. Subjects are university staff members, and the commodity is water “contaminated” by a sterilized cockroach. Our results suggest that social preferences exist with respect to commodities and “bads”, supporting a more general utility framework for social preferences. Our empirical test allows for the coexistence of three social‐preference models; our results support the models of Fehr and Schmidt (1999) and Charness and Rabin (2002), but not the model of Bolton and Ockenfels (2000). Also, we find that incorporating social preferences improves the efficiency of majority‐rules voting.

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  • Deborah Kerley Keisner & Kent D. Messer & William D. Schulze & Homa Zarghamee, 2013. "Testing Social Preferences for an Economic “Bad”: An Artefactual Field Experiment," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 115(1), pages 27-61, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:scandj:v:115:y:2013:i:1:p:27-61
    DOI: j.1467-9442.2012.01745.x
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    2. Guy Kaplanski & Haim Levy, 2017. "Envy and Altruism: Contrasting Bivariate and Univariate Prospect Preferences," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 119(2), pages 457-483, April.
    3. Johnston, Marie, 2014. "Contingent Valuation: A Comparison of Referendum and Voluntary Contribution Mechanisms," 2014 Conference (58th), February 4-7, 2014, Port Macquarie, Australia 165843, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    4. Maik Kecinski & Deborah Kerley Keisner & Kent D. Messer & William D. Schulze, 2018. "Measuring Stigma: The Behavioral Implications of Disgust," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 70(1), pages 131-146, May.
    5. Whiting, Alix & Kecinski, Maik & Li, Tongzhe & r, Kent D. Messer & Parker, Julia, 2019. "The importance of selecting the right messenger: A framed field experiment on recycled water products," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 1-8.
    6. Walsh, Patrick & Mui, Preston, 2017. "Contaminated sites and information in hedonic models: An analysis of a NJ property disclosure law," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 1-14.

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