We present a natural field experiment to examine if priming can influence behavior in a market for credence goods. 40 testers took 600 taxi journeys in Vienna, Austria, and using a between–subject design we vary the script they spoke, each designed to prime either honesty, dishonesty, or a competitor. We find that the honesty prime increases taxi fares by 5.5% relative to a baseline, the result of overcharging rather than overtreatment. Priming dishonesty and a competitor have no impact on fares. We find that the effects of priming on behavior are likely to be small compared to information asymmetries.
CITATION STYLE
Bindra, P. C., & Pearce, G. (2022). The effect of priming on fraud: Evidence from a natural field experiment. Economic Inquiry, 60(4), 1854–1874. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecin.13088
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