Experimenter Demand Effects and Altruism Towards the Experimenter

9 Pages Posted: 12 Apr 2013

See all articles by Piers Fleming

Piers Fleming

University of East Anglia (UEA) - School of Psychology; University of East Anglia (UEA) - Centre for Behavioural and Experimental Social Science (CBESS)

Daniel John Zizzo

University of Queensland - School of Economics

Date Written: April 11, 2013

Abstract

As a stress test of experimenter demand effects, we run an experiment where subjects can physically destroy coupons awarded to them. About one subject out of three does. Giving money back to the experimenter is possible in a separate task but is more consistent with an experimenter demand effect than an explanation based on altruism towards the experimenter. A measure of sensitivity to social pressure helps predict destruction when social information is provided.

Keywords: altruism, experimenter demand effects, social information, social pressure

JEL Classification: B41, C72, C91, D64

Suggested Citation

Fleming, Piers and Zizzo, Daniel John, Experimenter Demand Effects and Altruism Towards the Experimenter (April 11, 2013). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2248639 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2248639

Piers Fleming

University of East Anglia (UEA) - School of Psychology ( email )

Norwich, Norfolk
United Kingdom

University of East Anglia (UEA) - Centre for Behavioural and Experimental Social Science (CBESS) ( email )

Daniel John Zizzo (Contact Author)

University of Queensland - School of Economics ( email )

St Lucia
Brisbane, Queensland 4072
Australia

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