Does market interaction erode moral values?

Arbeitspapier

The widespread use of markets leads to unprecedented material well-being in many societies. We study whether market interaction, as a side effect, erodes moral values. In an influential paper, Falk and Szech (2013) provide experimental data that seem to suggest that "market interaction erodes moral values." Although we replicate their main treatment effect, we show that additional treatments are necessary to corroborate their conclusion. These treatments reveal that playing repeatedly, and not market interaction, causes the erosion of moral values. Our paper thus shows that neither Falk and Szech's data nor our data support the claim that markets erode morals.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Working Paper ; No. 360

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Design of Experiments: Laboratory, Individual ; Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact ; Externalities ; Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making‡
• Subject: Market interaction ; moral values

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Bartling, Björn ; Fehr, Ernst ; Özdemir, Yagiz
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): University of Zurich, Department of Economics
• (where): Zurich
• (when): 2021

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.5167/uzh-189516
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/228880
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET