Inter- and Intragenerational Differences in Corrupt Behavior: The Development of Morals after German Reunification

Last registered on January 04, 2022

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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title

Markets, Institutions, and Morals: Inter- and Intragenerational Differences in Corrupt Behavior

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0005397

Initial registration date

February 10, 2020

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

February 10, 2020, 10:49 AM EST

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

Last updated

January 04, 2022, 2:43 AM EST

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country

Germany

Region

Brandenburg

Country

Germany

Region

North Rhine-Westphalia

Primary Investigator

Name

Thorsten Auer

Affiliation

Paderborn University

Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Christin Hoffmann

PI Affiliation

BTU Cottbus

Contact Investigator

PI Name

Timo Berg

PI Affiliation

BTU Cottbus

Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status

Completed

Start date

2020-12-08

End date

2021-04-30

Keywords

Behavior, Lab, Post-conflict

Additional Keywords

Moral behavior, Corruption, Inter- and Intragenerational study, Institutional tranformation, Reunification

JEL code(s)

C91, D63, J14, P51

Secondary IDs

Prior work

This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.

Abstract

We investigate the suspected detrimental effect of markets on morals by analyzing corrupt behavior of individuals who experienced different institutional environments during their socialization. Additionally, we explore if the adaptation of institutions results in a convergence effect for moral behavior among different generations. Considering the German reunification as a natural experiment for fundamental institutional change for the Eastern part, we conducted an online study (N=168) playing an experimental sequential bribery game with East and West Germans, born distinctly before and after the collapse of the socialist system in East Germany. We find a higher propensity toward corrupt behavior among young Germans who grew up in a market-oriented economy. Disentangling first-round and multiple-round effects, young East Germans did even reveal a higher inclination to bribe compared to their West German counterparts. Contrary, we find the opposite behavior among the older generation. Therefore, we propose a conversion to immoral behavior for the sake of their own advantages among young East Germans, growing up under the tense relationship of market opportunities and conveyed cultural traits of a socialist imprint. We infer a negative effect of market-oriented institutions on moral values, leading to an overcompensating behavior among young East Germans.

External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation

Auer, Thorsten, Timo Berg and Christin Hoffmann. 2022. "Markets, Institutions, and Morals: Inter- and Intragenerational Differences in Corrupt Behavior." AEA RCT Registry. January 04. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.5397-2.2

Sponsors & Partners

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

We play a bribery game with different groups concerning age and origin in Germany. We implement both games in an online environment avoiding a strictly laboratory setting and this way being able to include different groups in their natural environment.

Intervention Start Date

2020-12-08

Intervention End Date

2021-03-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

Bribery Game: Decisions to make a transfer by one player for the acceptance of a request by the other player. This player decides to accept the transfer first and later the request. They can build a strategy over several rounds for interaction among both players.
Main outcome is the amont of transfer payments and the rate of acceptance by the other player.

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Differences between generations and origin of people in Germany

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

We intend to contribute to the literature by running an experiment in an online environment. We use ClassEx in order to run the experiments (Giamattei & Lambsdorff, 2019). We aim to collect data for different age groups in East and West Germany.
Regarding the bribery game, pairs will be matched and make concecutive decisions depending on the action of the other player. Decisions will only have an impact on the outcome of the partner.

Experimental Design Details

In the bribery game, one player will decide on a transfer amount, while the other player accepts or rejects the offer and consecutively implements a strategy X or Y with different consequences including a drop out lottery for both players when agreeing on a transfer. This procedure will be repeated over 10 rounds.

Randomization Method

Randomization done by the experimental program's algorithm

Randomization Unit

Overall stratified randomization by age and region.
In the game randomization on the individual level.

Was the treatment clustered?

Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

2 * 120 (for the Eastern and Western federal state)

Sample size: planned number of observations

120 students, 120 seniors

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

60 students East Germany, 60 students West Germany, 60 seniors East Germany, 60 seniors West Germany

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 Paderborn University

IRB Approval Date

2020-11-25

IRB Approval Number

N/A

Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?

Data Collection Complete

Data Publication

Is public data available?

Program Files

Reports, Papers & Other Materials