Can public goods experiments inform policy? Interpreting results in the presence of confused subjects

Cotten, Stephen J. and Ferraro, Paul J. and Vossler, Christian A. (2005): Can public goods experiments inform policy? Interpreting results in the presence of confused subjects.

Abstract

None

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: public goods; voluntary contributions; experiments; data interpretation
• Subjects: C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C9 - Design of Experiments > C92 - Laboratory, Group Behavior; H - Public Economics > H4 - Publicly Provided Goods > H41 - Public Goods

References

Andreoni, J. 1988. Why Free Ride? Strategies and Learning in Public Goods Experiments. Journal of Public Economics, 37(3)” 291-304.

Andreoni, J. 1990. Impure Altruism and Donations to Public Goods: A Theory of Warm-Glow Giving. The Economic Journal 100(401): 464-477.

Andreoni, J. 1995. Cooperation in Public-goods Experiments: Kindness or Confusion? American Economic Review 85(4): 891-904.

Brown-Kruse, J. and D. Hummels. 1993. Gender Effects in Laboratory Public Goods Contributions: Do Individuals Put their Money Where their Mouth Is? Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization 22: 255-268.

Cadsby, C.B. and E. Maynes. 1998. Gender and Free Riding in a Threshold Public Goods Game: Experimental Evidence. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization 34: 603-620.

Cox, J. and V. Sadiraj. 2005. Social Preferences and Voluntary Contributions to Public Goods. Paper presented at the Conference on Public Experimental Economics, Georgia State University.

Davis, D.D. and C.A. Holt. 1993. Experimental Economics. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.

Eckel, C. and P. Grossman. 2005. Differences in the Economic Decisions of Men and Women: Experimental Evidence. In Handbook of Experimental Results, Volume 1, edited by C. Plott and V. Smith. New York: Elsevier.

Ferraro, P.J., D. Rondeau, and G.L. Poe. 2003. Detecting Other-regarding Behavior with Virtual Players. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization 51: 99-109.

Ferraro, P.J. and C.A. Vossler 2005. The Dynamics of Other-regarding Behavior and Confusion: What’s Really Going on in Voluntary Contributions Mechanism Experiments? Experimental Laboratory Working Paper Series #2005-001, Department of Economics, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.

Fischbacher, U. and S. Gächter. 2004. Heterogeneous Motivations and the Dynamics of Free Riding in Public Goods. Working Paper, Institute for Empirical Research in Economics, University of Zurich.

Goeree, J., C. Holt, and S. Laury. 2002. Private Costs and Public Benefits: Unraveling the Effects of Altruism and Noisy Behavior. Journal of Public Economics 83: 255-276.

Houser, D. and R. Kurzban. 2002. Revisiting Kindness and Confusion in Public Goods Experiments. American Economic Review 92(4): 1062-1069.

Isaac, R.M., J. Walker, and S. Thomas. 1984. Divergent Evidence on Free Riding: An Experimental Examination of Possible Explanations. Public Choice 43: 113-149.

Laband, D.N. and R.O. Beil. 1999. Are Economists More Selfish than Other ‘Social’ Scientists?

Laury, S. and L. Taylor. Forthcoming. Altruism Spillovers: Does Laboratory Behavior Predict Altruism in the Field? Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization.

Lowenstein, G. 1999. Experimental Economics from the Vantage Point of Behavioural Economics. The Economic Journal 109: F25-F34.

Marwell, G. and R.E. Adams. 1981. Economists Free Ride, Does Anyone Else? Journal of Public Economics 15: 295-310.

Nowell, C. and Tinkler, S. 1994. The Influence of Gender on the Provision of a Public Good. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization 25: 25-36.

Palfrey, T.P. and J.E. Prisbrey. 1997. Anomalous Behavior in Public Goods Experiments: How Much and Why? American Economic Review 87: 829-846.

Yezer, A.M., R.S. Goldfarb and P.J. Poppen. 1996. Does Studying Economics Discourage Cooperation?: Watch We Do, Not What We Say or How We Play. Journal of Economic Perspectives 10: 177–186.