We experimentally test in a developing country whether people prefer a situation where individual and social interests coincide, a situation promoting equality or another one promoting a better relative position. We also investigate whether incentive compatible choices are consistent with results obtained by hypothetical surveys and whether results remain robust when higher stakes are considered. Our results show when stakes are low, a similar proportion of individuals (about 40%) choose the option that maximizes self-interest and social good and the option that promotes equality. Our findings suggest that hypothetical surveys may lead individuals to overestimate positional concerns and to be insensitive to stakes. In presence of higher stakes, egalitarian concerns prevail in incentive compatible experiments.
Efficiency, equality, positionality: what do people maximize? Experimental vs. hypothetical evidence from Tunisia
Résumé
en
We experimentally test in a developing country whether people prefer a situation where individual and social interests coincide, a situation promoting equality or another one promoting a better relative position. We also investigate whether incentive compatible choices are consistent with results obtained by hypothetical surveys and whether results remain robust when higher stakes are considered. Our results show when stakes are low, a similar proportion of individuals (about 40%) choose the option that maximizes self-interest and social good and the option that promotes equality. Our findings suggest that hypothetical surveys may lead individuals to overestimate positional concerns and to be insensitive to stakes. In presence of higher stakes, egalitarian concerns prevail in incentive compatible experiments.
Auteur(s)
Sana El Harbi1
, Insaf Bekir1
, Gilles Grolleau2, 3, 4
, Angela Sutan4
1
Université de Sousse
( 301055 )
- Tunisie
2
LAMETA -
Laboratoire Montpelliérain d'Économie Théorique et Appliquée
( 2583 )
- Avenue Raymond Dugrand-CS79606, 34960 Montpellier cedex 2
- France
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique UMR 1135 ( 92114 )
;
Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques UMR 5474 ( 92699 )
;
Université de Montpellier UMR 5474 ( 410122 )
;
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UMR 5474 ( 441569 )
;
Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier ( 474617 )
3
Montpellier SupAgro -
Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier
( 474617 )
- 2, place Viala
34060 Montpellier Cédex 2
- France
4
BSB -
Burgundy School of Business (BSB) - Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Dijon Bourgogne (ESC)
( 336963 )
- 29 Rue Sambin-BP50608
21006 Dijon Cedex
FRANCE
- France
Langue du document
Anglais
Nom de la revue
Journal of Economic Psychology
(ISSN : 0167-4870)
Publié par Elsevier
Revue non référencée dans Sherpa-Romeo
Vulgarisation
Non
Comité de lecture
Oui
Audience
Non spécifiée
Date de publication
2015
Volume
47
Page/Identifiant
77-84
Localisation géographique du document
Centre de documentation P. Bartoli, UMR Lameta, Montpellier (BR 1591)
Public visé
Scientifique
Sous-type de document pour les Articles
Research article
Domaine(s)
Sciences de l'Homme et Société/Economies et finances
Sana El Harbi, Insaf Bekir, Gilles Grolleau, Angela Sutan. Efficiency, equality, positionality: what do people maximize? Experimental vs. hypothetical evidence from Tunisia. Journal of Economic Psychology, 2015, 47, pp.77-84. ⟨10.1016/j.joep.2015.01.007⟩. ⟨hal-01506386⟩