Inducing Natural Group Identity: A RDP Analysis

A relevance, distinctiveness and plausibility (RDP) analysis is a conceptual framework that can be used to identify when potential confounds are a problem for interpreting experimental results. We illustrate this analysis using the creation or enhancement of natural group identity by the means of priming manipulations as employed in the experiments of five target papers. Such priming manipulations may lead to experimenter demand effects and may spuriously induce behavior change. Using a RDP analysis, we show how these potential confounds are likely to be problematic for all but one of the target papers

Game Harmony: A Short Note

Strategic uncertainty in game theory may have two different general sources, either alone or in combination: uncertainty because of the existence of a coordination problem, and uncertainty because of a conflict between one own and the other n players' interests. Game harmony is conceived as a generic game property that describes how harmonious (non-conflictual) or disharmonious (conflictual) the interests of the n players are, as embodied in the game payoffs. Pure coordination games are examples of games with maximal game harmony; zero sum games are examples of games with very low game harmony. This note briefly describes attempts to measure game harmony simply as a real-valued number

Envy and Agricultural Innovation: An Experimental Case Study from Ethiopia

CSAE working paper WPS/2011-0

A simple stress test of experimenter demand effects

As a stress test of experimenter demand effects, we run an experiment where subjects can physically destroy coupons awarded to them. About one subject out of three does. Giving money back to the experimenter is possible in a separate task but is more consistent with an experimenter demand effect than an explanation based on altruism towards the experimenter. A measure of sensitivity to social pressure helps predict destruction when social information is provided

Group status, minorities and trust

We present the results of an experiment that attempts to measure the impact of majority and minority groups, and high status and low status groups, on well-being, cooperation and social capital. In the experiment, group membership is induced artificially, subjects interact with insiders and outsiders in trust games and periodically enter markets where they can trade group membership. We find that trust falls with groups because of discrimination against outsiders. Against this, however, there is evidence that low group status and minority subjects are less satisfied, and that low status subjects trust less other low status subjects

Group Status, Minorities and Trust

We present the results of an experiment measuring the impact of low group status and relative group size on trust, trustworthiness and discrimination. Subjects interact with insiders and outsiders in trust games and periodically enter markets where they can trade group membership. Low status and minority subjects have low morale: that is, they comparatively dislike being low status and being minority subjects. Group discrimination against low status and minority subjects is unchanged. However, low status subjects are deferential to high status subjects in terms of comparatively higher trust, and minority subjects are deferential to majority subjects in terms of comparatively higher trustworthiness

Are People Willing to Pay to Reduce Others' Incomes?.

This paper studies utility interdependence in the laboratory. We design an experiment where subjects can reduce ("burn") other subjects' money. Those who burn the money of others have to give up some of their own cash. Despite this cost, and contrary to the assumptions of economics textbooks, the majority of our subjects choose to destroy at least part of others' money holdings. We vary experimentally the amount that subjects have to pay to reduce other people's cash. The implied price elasticity of burning is calculated; it is mostly less than unity. There is a strong correlation between wealth, or rank, and the amounts by which subjects are burnt.INCOME ; MONEY ; PRICES

Envy and Agricultural Innovation: An Experimental Case Study from Ethiopia

The underlying motivations for envy or related social preferences and their impact on agricultural innovations are examined by combining data from money burning experimental game and household survey from Ethiopia. In the first stage of the money burning experimental game, income inequality is induced by providing different endowments and playing a lottery. In the second, people are allowed to decrease (‘burn’) other players’ money at their own expense. Conditional on individual behaviour, experimentally measured envious preferences from others have a negative effect on real life agricultural innovation.envy, social preferences, money burning games, agricultural innovations, Ethiopia

The enteric nervous system : new developments and emerging concepts

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is an integrative neuronal network, organized in two ganglionated plexuses, myenteric and submucosal, composed of neurons and enteric glial cells, controlling the activity of the smooth muscle of the gut, mucosal secretion and blood flow. The ENS contains as many neurons as the spinal cord, and the functional and chemical diversity of enteric neurons closely resembles that of the central nervous system. This highly integrated neural system is also referred to as the ‘brain-in-the-gut’, because of its capability to function in the absence of nerve inputs from the central nervous system.peer-reviewe