The Impact of Uncertainty on Norm Compliance in Pro-Social Behavior

The lab experiment consists of a between-subject design, with the type of normative information as the manipulating factor. Subjects will be randomly assigned to either a control group or one of two information treatments. Those in the treatment groups will receive normative information relevant to a standard dictator game setting. This information will be presented either as a point estimate (a single value) or as a profile (a range of values). Subjects in the control group will receive no normative information prior to completing the experimental tasks. Treatment assignment will be done at the session level.

2025-12-10

2026-03-02

Giving behavior, Social norm uncertainty, and the importance placed on norm compliance.

Giving behavior is based on the subjects' choice in a standard dictator game experiment. This is the amount that each player chose to send to an anonymous recipient in the role of a dictator. There were eleven choices, from giving $0 to all $10 (entire endowment amount) in $1 increments.
Social norm uncertainty is measured by the standard deviation of a distribution of tokens that the subjects create in one part of the experiment. For each action choice in the dictator game (explained above), subjects receive 100 tokens to allocate across 4 appropriateness levels. This is a coordination game; they are trying to allocate tokens in attempt to guess how others in their session will allocate tokens. The 4 levels are very socially inappropriate, somewhat socially inappropriate, somewhat socially appropriate, and very socially appropriate. They can allocate tokens in any way they choose, resulting in a unique distribution per person. They receive payoff proportional to how many tokens they allocate to the appropriateness level that received the highest average token allocation by participants in the session. The more certain they are about how others will rate the appropriateness about a given action, the closer the standard deviation of their token distribution will be to 1.
The importance placed on social norm compliance is estimated as a coefficient in our main theoretical model, which uses data on giving behavior in the dictator game, as well as norm uncertainty and a population level calculation of the social norms themselves within the context of that dictator game.

Risk preferences, Gender

Risk preferences is measured based on a gamble task, which allows participants to choose 1 of 6 available gambles which vary based on their payoffs and risk. An additional measure of risk preferences is a self reported level of risk aversion elicited in the post experiment survey (likert scale from very unwilling to take risks to very willing).
Gender is measured in the post experiment survey, which will be used as an observable in the regression models.

Following treatment assignment, subjects will complete three tasks in the following order: social preference elicitation task, norm perception elicitation task, and risk preference elicitation task. The instructions for each task will be presented visually on the screens, accompanied by an audio recording of the instructions. In the treatment conditions, normative information will be provided prior to both the social preferences elicitation and the social norm elicitation tasks. This information will be both displayed on the screen and printed, with copies available at each workstation, allowing subjects to refer back to it at any point during the session.
After completing the three tasks, subjects will fill out a short demographic survey.

Not available

Randomization will be done using a computerized tool to assign treatments to sessions. Treatments will be randomized at the session level over two consecutive weeks, with sessions scheduled at various times between 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Treatments will be randomized at the session level. All participants within a unique session will receive the same treatment.

Yes

12 to 30 sessions based on show up rate per session.

255 subjects

At least 4 session for each of the three treatments arms (aiming for 85 participants per treatment)

To detect a minimum effect size of 0.2 with 80% power at a 5% significance level, a sample of 82 participants per treatment is required.