102 research outputs found
Essays on risk-taking behaviors: An experimental analysis
No full textThe effect of competition on
risk-taking in contests (with Jan Potters)
We investigate, theoretically and experimentally, the effect of competition on risktaking
in a contest in which players only decide on the level of risk they wish to take.
Taking more risk implies a chance of a higher performance, but also implies a higher
chance of failure. We vary the level of competition in two ways: by varying the number
of players (2 players versus 8 players), and by varying the sensitivity of the contest to
differences in performance (lottery contest versus all-pay auction). Our results show
that there is a significant interaction effect between the two treatments, suggesting that
players are particularly prone to take more risks if both the number of players and the
sensitivity to performance are higher.
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Dual-process cognition of risk-taking
decisions: an online experiment
In this study, we experimentally investigate the role of the mode of cognition on risk
taking. In an online experiment, we exogenously manipulate the mode of cognition by
means of a motivation treatment, where subjects are required to motivate their choice
and, hence, are more likely to make a choice under deliberation.
Our results show a significant effect of the motivation treatment on risk-taking, suggesting
that subjects are more prone to take risk when deliberation is active. This effect
is stronger and more significant if we consider only subjects who have no probabilistic
understanding of the decision problem. Based on our experimental findings, we argue
that deliberation and comprehension are substitutes when individuals make decisions
involving risk.
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The mode of cognition mediates the
relationship between personality
traits and risk-taking: an online
experiment
In this study, we experimentally investigate how the mode of cognition mediates the
relation between personality traits and risk taking. In an online experiment, the mode
of cognition is exogenously manipulated by asking subjects to motivate their choice in
order to invoke more deliberative decisions.
Although the evidence is not particularly strong, it appears to be suggestive for a role
of the mode of cognition in the relation between personality traits and risk-taking behaviors.
We find that higher levels of Conscientiousness, Neuroticism and Openness to
Experience are associated with a lower degree of risk-taking in the control treatment,
and that, in the treatment with motivation, Agreeableness has a qualitatively similar
association. Moreover, our experimental results show that risk taking behaviors are
more affected by traits of personality when decisions are taken under a more intuitive
mode of cognition
Motivating risky choices increases risk taking
No full textWestudy the impact of the mode of cognition on risk taking. In an online experiment, we
ask participants to make a simple decision involving risk by performing the bomb risk
elicitation task. The control group undergoes no manipulation, while in the treatment
group, we exogenously manipulate the mode of cognition by requiring subjects to write
down a text that motivates their risky choice before making a decision. Such motivation
treatment is meant to induce more reflection upon the action to be taken. Our results show
an effect of the motivation treatment on risk taking, suggesting that higher reflection
makes subjects more prone to risk taking. The effect is stronger among participants who
have a limited understanding of the probability distribution involved in the decision task.
Based onthesefindings, wesuggestthat reflection and comprehension may be substitutes
in decision making when there is risk involved
Delaying and motivating decisions in the (Bully) dictator game
No full textWe investigate experimentally how decisions in the Dictator Game are affected by cognitive manipulations aimed at promoting greater reliance on deliberation. Specifically, we run an online experiment where we have 6 distinct experimental conditions resulting from the combination of 2 conditions for the Dictator Game (non-bully: the dictator is initially endowed with all the money; bully: the initial endowment is equally split), and 3 conditions for the cognitive manipulations (time delay: decisions are delayed; motivated delay: decisions are delayed and a written motivation is required; control: no manipulation). We find that the equal initial endowment leads the dictator to get less, confirming in the online setting previous evidence from the lab. Further, our findings suggest that the request to write a motivation makes subjects take less for themselves with respect to the mere request to wait some time before choosing
Real-effort in the Multilevel Public Goods Game
No full textWe investigate the extent to which a real-effort effect and an inequality effect impact individuals' prosocial behavior in the multilevel public goods game. We explore two symmetrical treatments: one where everyone participates in a preliminary task to obtain their initial endowment, and another where no one does, to assess the real-effort effect. Additionally, we examine two asymmetrical treatments where only individuals from one local group engage in the preliminary task to study the inequality effect. We find evidence that the contribution to the local public good is stable across all treatments, while the contribution to the global public good is significantly lower when both groups perform the preliminary task
European Union legislation at local level
No full textwritten by: Lorenzo SpadoniLiteraturverzeichnis: Blatt 69-73Masterarbeit Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg 202
Back to the future: An experiment on ecological restoration
No full textThe urgency of climate, biodiversity, and pollution crises has prompted international and national institutions
to move beyond the prevention and mitigation of damages and to design policies aimed at promoting ecological
restoration. In this paper, we address this emerging policy challenge by presenting experimental evidence on
individuals’ propensity to contribute to restoration activities. Specifically, our design links a common pool
resource game to a public good game to investigate how previous resource exploitation influences restoration
decisions. We find that history matters since subjects who participate in resource depletion show a different
behavior as compared to subjects who are only called to restore it. Specifically, while the former are subject
to behavioral lock-ins that influence the success of restoration, the latter are more prompt to restore the more
the resource is depleted
Gli effetti della modalità di comunicazione del rischio sulle scelte di investimento finanziario: i risultati di un esperimento
No full textLa modalità in cui sono presentate le scelte in condizioni di rischio
può influenzare la scelta di investimento finanziario? In questo
lavoro vengono riportati i risultati di un esperimento in cui i
partecipanti fronteggiano una serie di decisioni di investimento tra
un titolo con rendimento certo e uno con rendimento rischioso
presentate in diverse modalità “visive”: istogramma, albero e
verbale. I dati raccolti mostrano che le scelte di investimento variano
sulla base delle modalità di presentazione del titolo rischioso. In
particolare, i soggetti sono disposti a farsi carico di un maggiore
rischio quando il titolo rischioso è presentato con una modalità a loro
più familiare (preferita)
Laboratory Investigation on the Use of Geocomposites as Waterproofing Systems for Concrete Bridge Decks
No full textWater seepage in cement concrete structures is one of the main sources of degradation, especially for concrete bridge decks. Therefore, the protection of these strategic structures is a crucial task for civil engineers nowadays. In this context, this study focuses on the use of geocomposites as waterproofing systems for concrete bridge decks. Four geocomposites with different characteristics were compared based on a dedicated testing protocol. The influence of the concrete surface condition (dry or wet) as well as the type and dosage of the primer was also studied. Multilayered slabs, composed of cement concrete, primer, geocomposite, and asphalt concrete, were prepared in the laboratory. The proposed testing protocol includes four types of tests, i.e., shear bond tests (SBT) with the Leutner device, pull-off tests, binder bond strength (BBS) tests, and watertightness tests. Most configurations exhibited good shear resistance and adhesion properties. In general, the geocomposite type and the primer dosage had a significant influence on the behavior of the system, whereas the concrete condition and the primer type had no statistically significant effect. In most cases, the weak point of the system was the interface between cement concrete and primer or between primer and geocomposite. Finally, all geocomposites successfully passed the watertightness test. The proposed testing protocol can be useful for producers to design and optimize their products as well as for road agencies to prequalify the product in the laboratory on the basis of clear performance-based technical specifications
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