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Self-Selection into Corruption: Evidence from the Lab

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  • Brassiolo, Pablo
  • Estrada, Ricardo
  • Fajardo, Gustavo
  • Vargas, Juan

Abstract

We study whether the existence of opportunities to extract rents in a job affects the type of individuals who are attracted to it. We design a laboratory experiment in which individuals choose between two contracts, each offering a payment in return for performing a task, and we experimentally introduce the possibility of graft in one of the contracts. First, we find that the corruptible contract attracts less honest individuals and repels the more honest ones, thus changing the composition of the group that chooses that contract to the detriment of integrity. Second, we observe extensive graft when the opportunity is introduced. Using a double randomization strategy to disentangle pure incentives and selection effects, we find that selection is the fundamental driver of graft in our context.

Suggested Citation

  • Brassiolo, Pablo & Estrada, Ricardo & Fajardo, Gustavo & Vargas, Juan, 2020. "Self-Selection into Corruption: Evidence from the Lab," Research Department working papers 1567, CAF Development Bank Of Latinamerica.
    • Handle: RePEc:dbl:dblwop:1567
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    Cited by:

    1. Bahník, Štěpán & Houdek, Petr & Hudík, Marek & Say, Nicolas, 2025. "The limited role of prosocial behavior in preventing others from being dishonest," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    2. Xun, Yang, 2024. "Corruption and Talent Allocation," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1526, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    3. Čellárová, Katarína & Staněk, Rostislav, 2024. "Contest and resource allocation: An experimental analysis of entitlement and self-selection effects," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    4. Sulitzeanu-Kenan, Raanan & Tepe, Markus & Alon-Barkat, Saar & Erlbruch, Florian & Yair, Omer & Jankowski, Michael & Prokop, Christine, 2025. "Public sector culture does not increase honest behavior: Evidence from RCTs in five countries," OSF Preprints h29mq_v1, Center for Open Science.
    5. Petr Houdek & Štěpán Bahník & Marek Hudík & Marek Vranka, 2021. "Selection effects on dishonest behavior," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 16(2), pages 238-266, March.
    6. Vranka, Marek & Hudík, Marek & Frollová, Nikola & Bahník, Štěpán & Sýkorová, Markéta & Houdek, Petr, 2021. "Honesty of online workers: A field experiment shows no evidence of self-selection of cheaters to a cheating-enabling work environment," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 94(C).

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • M5 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics

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