Replication Data for: Messaging About Corruption: The Power of Social Norms

Abstract: While commonly deployed in anti-corruption programs, corruption messaging has shown limited success. I argue that strategies focusing on injunctive norms (what most people approve of) have been underutilized and could be a feasible way of influencing perceptions in a desirable direction. In two studies fielded in Mexico, I first identify a substantial discrepancy between how individuals view the permissibility of corruption and their perceptions of other people’s attitudes. In a follow-up preregistered experiment, I leverage this tension by randomly informing a treatment group about people’s strong anti-corruption attitudes. The results show that the treatment group became significantly more positive with regard to the attitudes of others. More- over, they report higher interpersonal trust, are less likely view corruption as a basic part of Mexican culture, and show lower willingness to bribe. The study contributes to our under-standing of corruption as a social phenomenon and provides insights about how to construct effective anti-corruption messages.