American Economic Journal:
Microeconomics
ISSN 1945-7669 (Print) | ISSN 1945-7685 (Online)
Trust and Promises over Time
American Economic Journal: Microeconomics
vol. 14,
no. 3, August 2022
(pp. 304–20)
Abstract
Using a large-scale hybrid laboratory and online trust experiment with and without preplay communication, we investigate how the passage of time affects trust. Communication (predominantly through promises) raises cooperation, trust, and trustworthiness by about 50 percent. This result holds even when three weeks pass between the time of the trustee's message/the trustor's decision to trust and the time of the trustee's contribution choice and even when this contribution choice is made outside of the lab. Delay between the beginning of the interaction and the time to reciprocate neither substantially alters trust or trustworthiness nor affects how subjects communicate.Citation
Ederer, Florian, and Frédéric Schneider. 2022. "Trust and Promises over Time." American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, 14 (3): 304–20. DOI: 10.1257/mic.20200049Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- C91 Design of Experiments: Laboratory, Individual
- D83 Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
- D91 Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
- Z13 Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification
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