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Thoughts about the dictator and trust game

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  • Detemple, Julian

Abstract

Experiments are an important tool in economic research. However, it is unclear to which extent the control of experiments extends to the perceptions subjects form of such experimental decision situations. This paper is the first to explicitly elicit perceptions of the dictator and trust game and shows that there is substantial heterogeneity in how subjects perceive the same game. Moreover, game perceptions depend not only on the game itself but also on the order of games (i.e., the broader experimental context in which the game is embedded) and the subject herself. This highlights that the control of experiments does not necessarily extend to game perceptions. The paper also demonstrates that perceptions are correlated with game behavior and moderate the relationship between game behavior and field behavior, thereby underscoring the importance and relevance of game perceptions for economic research.

Suggested Citation

  • Detemple, Julian, 2024. "Thoughts about the dictator and trust game," SAFE Working Paper Series 422, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
  • Handle: RePEc:zbw:safewp:297999
    DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.4857010
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    dictator game; trust game; game perceptions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C90 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - General
    • D01 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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