The (in)elasticity of moral ignorance

Arbeitspapier

Ignorance enables individuals to act immorally. This is well known in policy circles, where there is keen interest in lowering moral ignorance. In this paper, we demonstrate the relevance of demand elasticity to ignorance by showing that small monetary incentives can significantly reduce ignorance. We contrast monetary incentives with social norms, which have little impact on ignorance and actually increase ignorance in less moral individuals. Using a longitudinal design, we document that ignorance is persistent across moral contexts and through time. We propose and structurally estimate a simple behavioral model in line with our findings.

Angaben zum Objekt

• Sprache: Englisch

Verweise und Beziehungen

• Erschienen in: Series: KIT Working Paper Series in Economics ; No. 134

Klassifikation und Themen

• Klassifikation: Wirtschaft ; Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness ; Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making‡ ; Design of Experiments: Laboratory, Individual
• Thema: information avoidance ; morality ; unethical behavior ; social norms

Beteiligte, Orts- und Zeitangaben

• Ereignis: Geistige Schöpfung
• (wer): Serra-Garcia, Marta ; Szech, Nora
• Ereignis: Veröffentlichung
• (wer): Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre (ECON)
• (wo): Karlsruhe
• (wann): 2019

Weitere Informationen

• DOI: doi:10.5445/IR/1000098636
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/203248
• Letzte Aktualisierung: 10.03.2025, 11:46 MEZ