scholarly journals Maybe Favors: How to get More Good Deeds Done

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Karl Paul Zürn ◽  
Sascha Topolinski ◽  
Judith Gerten
Keyword(s):  
Probability Weighting ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Total N ◽  
Willingness To Donate ◽  
Non Linear ◽  
Linear Probability ◽  
Good Deeds

While previous research has revealed several reasons why humans often help each other even when they do not receive immediate benefits, we explore a simple nudge that might get more of those good deeds done: the “maybe favor”. We first show conceptually that, compared to a conventional favor, humans are more willing to grant a favor to a stranger on which they might eventually not have to make good. Furthermore, we conducted a series of fully incentivized experiments (total N = 3475) where participants could make actual donations to charity. Introducing a “maybe” into our donation proposals by randomly revoking some donations not only led to significant increases in donation rates but also increased the total amount of donations. That is, due to biased perceptions of costs and benefits combined with non-linear probability weighting, the donations we revoked due to the “maybe” were overcompensated by an increased overall willingness-to-donate.

scholarly journals Give me a challenge or give me a raise

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandr Alekseev
Keyword(s):  
Expected Utility ◽  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Alternative Mechanism ◽  
Probability Weighting ◽  
Behavioral Patterns ◽  
Monetary Rewards ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Utility Models ◽  
Linear Probability ◽  
Effort Provision

AbstractI study the effect of task difficulty on workers’ effort. I find that task difficulty has an inverse-U effect on effort and that this effect is quantitatively large, especially when compared to the effect of conditional monetary rewards. Difficulty acts as a mediator of monetary rewards: conditional rewards are most effective at the intermediate or high levels of difficulty. The inverse-U pattern of effort response to difficulty is inconsistent with many popular models in the literature, including the Expected Utility models with the additively separable cost of effort. I propose an alternative mechanism for the observed behavior based on non-linear probability weighting. I structurally estimate the proposed model and find that it successfully captures the behavioral patterns observed in the data. I discuss the implications of my findings for the design of optimal incentive schemes for workers and for the models of effort provision.

scholarly journals You cannot accurately estimate an individual’s loss aversion using an accept-reject task

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukasz Walasek ◽  
Neil Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Prospect Theory ◽  
Loss Aversion ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Probability Weighting ◽  
Value Functions ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Simple Version ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Gain Loss ◽  
Linear Probability

Prospect theory's loss aversion is often measured in the accept-reject task, in which participants accept or reject the chance of playing a series of gambles. The gambles are two-branch 50/50 gambles with varying gain and loss amounts (e.g., 50% chance of winning $20 and a 50% chance of losing $10). Prospect theory quantifies loss aversion by scaling losses up by a parameter λ. Here we show that λ suffers from extremely poor parameter recoverability in the accept-reject task. λ cannot be reliably estimated even for a simple version of prospect theory with linear probability weighting and value functions. λ cannot be reliably estimated even in impractically large experiments with participants subject to thousands of choices. The poor recoverability is driven by a trade-off between λ and the other model parameters. However, a measure derived from these parameters is extremely well recovered—and corresponds to estimating the area of gain-loss space in which people accept gambles. This area is equivalent to the number of gambles accepted in a given choice set. That is, simply counting accept decisions is extremely reliably recovered—but using prospect theory to make further use of exactly which gambles were accepted and which were rejected does not work.

scholarly journals LOSS AVERSION IS CONSISTENT WITH STOCK MARKET BEHAVIOR

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 60-73
Author(s):  
Samih Antoine Azar
Keyword(s):  
Stock Market ◽  
Loss Aversion ◽  
Discrete Distributions ◽  
Probability Weighting ◽  
Valuation Function ◽  
Certainty Equivalence ◽  
The Us ◽  
Non Linear ◽  
Two Parameters ◽  
Diminishing Sensitivity

The purpose of this paper is to verify that discrete statistical distributions of the US stock market are consistent with loss aversion. Loss aversion has the following tenets: an S-shaped valuation function, characterized by diminishing sensitivity, a loss aversion coefficient higher than +1, probability weighting, and reference-dependence. Diminishing sensitivity implies that the exponent of the valuation function is between 0 and +1. It is expected that this exponent be higher for losses. Probability weighting replaces objective with subjective probabilities. Loss aversion is indicated by a coefficient higher than +1 for the valuation of losses. There are three parameters: the two exponents of the valuation function, and the loss aversion coefficient. There is one non-linear equation: the certainty equivalence relation. The procedure is to fix two parameters and find the third parameter by solving the non-linear certainty equivalence equation, using the EXCEL spreadsheet. The program is repeated for more than one case about the fixed parameters, and by enriching the analysis with probability weighting. The calibrations executed point strongly to the conclusion that loss aversion is consistent with six discrete distributions of the first two moments of returns of the US stock markets. The calibration process provides for reasonable estimates of the key parameters of loss aversion. These estimates suggest a more pronounced diminishing sensitivity, and a higher than expected coefficient of loss aversion, especially when probability weighting is imposed.

Disorder, dictatorship and government effectiveness: cross-national evidence

2012 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Whitford ◽  
Soo-Young Lee
Keyword(s):  
Political Science ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Institutional Design ◽  
Government Performance ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Government Effectiveness ◽  
Linear Effect ◽  
Non Linear Effect ◽  
Non Linear ◽  
Cross National

AbstractInstitutional design balances the costs and benefits of dictatorship and disorder. Democracy can be efficient if it improves the performance of government. Yet, sometimes authoritarian governments can be efficient if they reduce disorder. We show that democratisation has a non-linear effect on income-adjusted perceptions of government effectiveness. These findings present a new opportunity to revisit the study of government performance for researchers working in public administration and political science.

scholarly journals Simple Reciprocal Fairness Message to Enhance Non-Donor’s Willingness to Donate Blood

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eamonn Ferguson ◽  
Abigail R A Edwards ◽  
Barbara M Masser
Keyword(s):  
Correction Factor ◽  
Blood Donors ◽  
Blood Donation ◽  
Organ Donor ◽  
Independent Effect ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Total N ◽  
Willingness To Donate ◽  
Donor Numbers ◽  
Donation Behavior

Abstract Background Against a background of declining blood donor numbers, recruiting new donors is critical for the effective operations of healthcare providers. Thus, interventions are needed to recruit new blood donors. Purpose We provide initial evidence for Voluntary Reciprocal Altruism (VRA) to enhance nondonors’ willingness to become blood donors. VRA interventions involve asking two questions: one on accepting a blood transfusion if needed and one on willingness to donate. As early trials often use self-reports of willingness to perform blood donation behavior, we derive a correction factor to better estimate actual behavior. Finally, we explore the effect of VRA interventions on two prosocial emotions: gratitude and guilt. Methods Across three experiments (two in the UK and one in Australia: Total N = 1,208 nondonors) we manipulate VRA messages and explore how they affect both reported willingness to make a one-off or repeat blood donation and influence click through to blood donation, organ donation and volunteering registration sites (behavioral proxies). We report data from a longitudinal cohort (N = 809) that enables us to derive a correction for self-reported behavioral willingness. Results Across the three experiments, we show that exposure to a question that asks about accepting a transfusion if needed increased willingness to donate blood with some spillover to organ donor registration. We also show that gratitude has an independent effect on donation and report a behavioral correction factor of .10. Conclusions Asking nondonors about accepting a transfusion if needed is likely to be an effective strategy to increase new donor numbers.

B. The Non-Linear Calculations for Pulsating Stars

1967 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 105-176
Author(s):  
Robert F. Christy
Keyword(s):  
Major Part ◽  
Afternoon Session ◽  
Discussion Session ◽  
Pulsating Stars ◽  
Fourth Symposium ◽  
Non Linear ◽  
Considerable Discussion ◽  
Informal Approach ◽  
Preceding Session

(Ed. note: The custom in these Symposia has been to have a summary-introductory presentation which lasts about 1 to 1.5 hours, during which discussion from the floor is minor and usually directed at technical clarification. The remainder of the session is then devoted to discussion of the whole subject, oriented around the summary-introduction. The preceding session, I-A, at Nice, followed this pattern. Christy suggested that we might experiment in his presentation with a much more informal approach, allowing considerable discussion of the points raised in the summary-introduction during its presentation, with perhaps the entire morning spent in this way, reserving the afternoon session for discussion only. At Varenna, in the Fourth Symposium, several of the summaryintroductory papers presented from the astronomical viewpoint had been so full of concepts unfamiliar to a number of the aerodynamicists-physicists present, that a major part of the following discussion session had been devoted to simply clarifying concepts and then repeating a considerable amount of what had been summarized. So, always looking for alternatives which help to increase the understanding between the different disciplines by introducing clarification of concept as expeditiously as possible, we tried Christy's suggestion. Thus you will find the pattern of the following different from that in session I-A. I am much indebted to Christy for extensive collaboration in editing the resulting combined presentation and discussion. As always, however, I have taken upon myself the responsibility for the final editing, and so all shortcomings are on my head.)

Using the research on intergroup conflict in nonhuman animals to help inform patterns of human intergroup conflict

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda R. Ridley ◽  
Melanie O. Mirville
Keyword(s):  
Large Body ◽  
Nonhuman Animal ◽  
Intergroup Conflict ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Animal Groups ◽  
Interesting Article ◽  
Nonhuman Animals

Abstract There is a large body of research on conflict in nonhuman animal groups that measures the costs and benefits of intergroup conflict, and we suggest that much of this evidence is missing from De Dreu and Gross's interesting article. It is a shame this work has been missed, because it provides evidence for interesting ideas put forward in the article.

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