Measuring trust across countries: Inconsistencies between experiments and surveys

Abstract

This study examines whether incentivized experiments and non-incentivized surveys yield consistent cross-country measurements of trust. Drawing on data from Johnson and Mislin (2011) meta-analysis of 151 trust games, recent 71 studies, and Falk et al (2018) Global Preferences Survey, we find notable divergences between these two approaches. To explore these differences, we conducted trust game experiments with and without incentives at universities in China and the United States. In China, the incentive condition led to markedly different outcomes, while in the U.S., differences were relatively small. Moreover, Chinese participants displayed significantly higher levels of trust in non-incentivized settings. These findings underscore that the influence of incentives on trust varies substantially across cultural contexts.