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Field Before After
Last Published March 29, 2024 04:12 AM July 27, 2026 03:55 AM
Intervention Completion Date March 03, 2020
Data Collection Complete Yes
Public Data URL https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/mnsc.2025.01176
Program Files Yes
Program Files URL https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/mnsc.2025.01176
Is data available for public use? Yes
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Papers

Field Before After
Paper Abstract Consumers’ willful ignorance about the consequences of their actions may impede moral behavior. We test this concern in a real-world context based on a laboratory experiment and field data. We find that willful ignorance about farming practices increases consumption of meat from intensive farming, both in the laboratory and at university canteens. Individuals who prefer to avoid costless evidence are particularly responsive to it, yet their behavioral response vanishes within two weeks. Both findings demonstrate how difficult it is for organizations and governments to address willful ignorance through information interventions.
Paper Citation Epperson, R., & Gerster, A. (2026). Willful ignorance and moral behavior. Management Science.
Paper URL https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2025.01176
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