Trust Among the Avatars: A Virtual World Experiment, With and Without Textual and Visual Cues

35 Pages Posted: 9 Dec 2010

See all articles by Stephen A. Atlas

Stephen A. Atlas

University of Rhode Island

Louis Putterman

Brown University - Department of Economics

Date Written: December 7, 2010

Abstract

We invited “residents” of a virtual world who vary in real-world age and occupation to play a trust game with stakes comparable to “in world” wages. In different treatments, the lab wall was adorned with an emotively suggestive photograph, a suggestive text was added to the instructions, or both a photo and text were added. We find high levels of trust and reciprocity that appear still higher for non-student and older subjects. Variation of results by treatment suggests that both photographic and textual cues influenced the level of trust but not that of trustworthiness.

Keywords: trust, experiment, internet, virtual world, priming

JEL Classification: C70, C91, D03

Suggested Citation

Atlas, Stephen A. and Putterman, Louis G., Trust Among the Avatars: A Virtual World Experiment, With and Without Textual and Visual Cues (December 7, 2010). Southern Economic Journal, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1721525

Stephen A. Atlas (Contact Author)

University of Rhode Island ( email )

Quinn Hall
55 Lower College Rd.
Kingston, RI 02881
United States

Louis G. Putterman

Brown University - Department of Economics ( email )

Box B
Providence, RI 02912
United States
401-863-3837 (Phone)
401-863-1970 (Fax)

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