Work

Conflict of interest and the intrusion of bias

Year: 2010

Type: article

Abstract: This paper explores the psychology of conflict of interest by investigating how conflicting interests affect both public statements and private judgments. The results suggest that judgments are easily influenced by affiliation with interested partisans, and that this influence extends to judgments made with clear incentives for objectivity. The consistency we observe between public and private judgments indicates that participants believed their biased assessments. Our results suggest that the psychology of conflict of interest is at odds with the way economists and policy makers routinely think about the problem. We conclude by exploring implications of this finding for professional conduct and public policy.

Source: Judgment and Decision Making

DOI: 10.1017/s1930297500002023

Authors: Don A. Moore, Lloyd Tanlu, Max H. Bazerman

Institutions: Carnegie Mellon University, University of Washington, Harvard University

Language: English

Topic: Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics

Subfield: General Decision Sciences

Field: Decision Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,550