Work

When Incentives Backfire: Spillover Effects in Food Choice

Year: 2015

Type: report

Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial

Abstract: How do peers influence the impact of incentives?Despite much work on incentives, little is known about the spillover effects of incentives.We investigate two mechanisms by which these effects can occur: through peers' actions and peers' incentives.In a field experiment on snack choice (grapes versus cookies), we randomize who receives incentives, the fraction of peers incentivized, and whether or not it can be observed that peers' choices are incentivized among over 1,500 children in the school lunchroom.Incentives increase the likelihood of initially choosing grapes.However, peer spillover effects can be large enough to undo these positive effects.

Source: National Bureau of Economic Research

DOI: 10.3386/w21481

Authors: Manuela Angelucci, Silvia Prina, Heather Royer, Anya Samek

Institutions: National Bureau of Economic Research, University of Michigan, Case Western Reserve University, University of California, Santa Barbara, University of Southern California

Language: English

Topic: Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies

Subfield: Safety Research

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: World Bank Group, University of Michigan, Case Western Reserve University

OpenAlex ID: W1892799081

Cites: 85

Cited by: 8

Related to: 10