Cheating in the Lab Predicts Fraud in the Field: An Experiment in Public Transportations

Arbeitspapier

We conduct an artefactual field experiment using a diversified sample of passengers of public transportations to study attitudes towards dishonesty. We find that the diversity of behavior in terms of dis/honesty in laboratory tasks and in the field correlate. Moreover, individuals who have just been fined in the field behave more honestly in the lab than the other fare-dodgers, except when context is introduced. Overall, we show that simple tests of dishonesty in the lab can predict moral firmness in life, although frauders who care about social image cheat less when behavior can be verified ex post by the experimenter.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 9702

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Economic Methodology ; Design of Experiments: Laboratory, Individual ; Field Experiments ; Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
• Subject: dishonesty ; fare-dodging ; field experiment ; external validity ; public transportations

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Dai, Zhixin ; Galeotti, Fabio ; Villeval, Marie Claire
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2016

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/141461
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET