Investigating Dishonesty - Does Context Matter?

This research centers around two different research questions addressed in two experimental studies. In the first study, I estimate whether financial market saliency triggers dishonest behavior in an online experiment. More specifically, the experimental design allows to test whether participants are more honest when they are introduced to a financial market context as opposed to a neutral context. I use frame-specific randomization devices to vary the situational context of the game (i.e., stock market or neutral context). In the second study, I aim to find out whether the environment has an effect on dishonest behavior. In both studies, the dependent variable is the reported draw defined on the interval between 0 and 9 (variable name my_survey.1.player.outcome). I additionally capture the variation in behavior that is induced not only by the previously mentioned independent variables (i.e., financial market setting / environment), but also decision times (variable name seconds). Additional independent variables include age in years, dummies for being female, different study major. The variable my_survey.1.player.color captures treatment assignment (orange/yellow is financial market and black/white is random number treatment). The variable Lab is a dummy variable indicating whether subjects participated in the physical laboratory or from their homes.