People Are More Moral in Uncertain Environments

IF 6.6 1区经济学 Q1 ECONOMICS

Econometrica Pub Date : 2025-03-29 DOI:10.3982/ECTA20574

Yiting Chen, Songfa Zhong

引用次数: 0

Abstract

We conduct a series of experiments and document a robust behavioral pattern whereby people behave more morally in uncertain environments than degenerate deterministic ones. We show that this pattern is weakened when the moral implication of behavior is diminished or when uncertainty pertains to others rather than oneself. These findings are incompatible with standard models that respect dominance. We propose a mechanism based on the anxiety aspect of uncertain environments whereby people act morally as if their moral behavior can help deliver a better outcome. We further delve into the complexity aspect of uncertainty to arrive at a more comprehensive understanding of these findings.

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人们在不确定的环境中更有道德

我们进行了一系列实验，并记录了一种稳健的行为模式，即人们在不确定的环境中比在退化的确定性环境中表现得更道德。我们发现，当行为的道德含义减少，或者当不确定性与他人有关而不是与自己有关时，这种模式就会减弱。这些发现与尊重支配地位的标准模型不相容。我们提出了一种基于不确定环境的焦虑方面的机制，在这种机制中，人们按照道德行为行事，就好像他们的道德行为可以帮助实现更好的结果。我们进一步深入研究不确定性的复杂性，以对这些发现有更全面的理解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Econometrica 社会科学-数学跨学科应用

CiteScore

11.00

自引率

3.30%

发文量

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

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