Experiment on theories of distributional preferences

Last registered on July 03, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Experiment on theories of distributional preferences
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0016294
Initial registration date
July 01, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
July 03, 2025, 3:01 PM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Germany
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Oliver Groth Pettersen
Affiliation
Univseristy of Oslo
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Moritz Drupp
PI Affiliation
ETH Zurich
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PI Name
Paolo G. Piacquadio
PI Affiliation
University of St. Gallen
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PI Name
Björn Bos
PI Affiliation
University of Hamburg
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-07-03
End date
2025-10-31
Keywords
Behavior, Lab
Additional Keywords
Distributional preferences
JEL code(s)
D31, D63, D90, and D92
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We study the richness and properties of individuals' other-regarding preferences. We contrast and compare theories along three dimensions of social preferences. We subsequently conduct 3-person generalized dictator games, in fully incentivized as well as spectator settings. Our study will improve our understanding of other-regarding preferences in multi-person settings, unveil the heterogeneity of other-regarding preferences, and test the reliability of spectator designs.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Bos, Björn et al. 2025. "Experiment on theories of distributional preferences." AEA RCT Registry. July 03. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16294-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
There are no experimental treatments. See analysis plan.
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2025-07-03
Intervention End Date
2025-10-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
- Relative performance of parameter values and preference structures to predict distributional behavior.
- Probability that underlying preferences deciding behavior in a "spectator setting" stem from the the same distribution we find to best predict behavior in a setting where individuals have personal financial incentives.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
We use a novel index (see analysis plan) in order assess which utility specification describes an individual's behavior best in an incentivized three-person and a spectator setting.

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
In the experiment, each subject is asked to make a total of 120 distributional decisions.
In 90 of these, they are asked to choose the preferred distribution of payoffs for themselves and two other participants.
In the final 30, they are asked to make decisions on the distribution between two others while their own payoff remains unaffected.
The subjects do not receive any information on the other subjects and the decisions are financially incentivized.
We utilize a novel UI that allows us to illustrate all possible distributions in an intuitive two-dimensional environment.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
We use a computer algorithm to randomly draw the prices of giving and redistribution. For further details see the analysis plan.
Randomization Unit
Every participant is faced with 120 decisions. In each the price of giving and price of redistribution is randomly picked. For further details see analysis plan.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
We aim for the largest amount of respondents that the WISO Faculty's Research Lab can collect. We expect around 350 participants over approximately 20 sessions. In case we do not gather at least 300 responses, we plan to additionally run it in a second lab.
Sample size: planned number of observations
Each of the around 350 participants are asked to complete 120 tasks; as we do not expect systematic variation across sessions, our number of clusters and observations are equivalent.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Every participant is in the same treatment arm.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Ethics Committee of the Faculty WISO, University of Hamburg
IRB Approval Date
2025-06-30
IRB Approval Number
2025-038
Analysis Plan

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Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials