Work

Cues of being watched enhance cooperation in a real-world setting

Year: 2006

Type: article

Abstract: We examined the effect of an image of a pair of eyes on contributions to an honesty box used to collect money for drinks in a university coffee room. People paid nearly three times as much for their drinks when eyes were displayed rather than a control image. This finding provides the first evidence from a naturalistic setting of the importance of cues of being watched, and hence reputational concerns, on human cooperative behaviour.

Source: Biology Letters

DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2006.0509

Authors: Melissa Bateson, Daniel Nettle, Gilbert Roberts

Institution: Newcastle University

Language: English

Topic: Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W2103958511

FWCI: 52.03

Cites: 19

Cited by: 1,358

Related to: 10