Voluntary contributions to a public good: a natural field experiment
نویسندگان
چکیده
This paper describes the results of a natural field experiment that investigated voluntary contributions to a public good. The experiment took place at an art gallery where admission was free, but donations could be deposited into a transparent box in the foyer. We manipulated the social information available to patrons by altering what was visible in the donation box. In particular, we investigated four treatments: one with very few large denomination bills, one with several small denomination bills, one with a large amount of coinage, and one empty. The social information had a statistically significant impact on donation composition, the propensity to donate, and the amount donated. The data demonstrates a tradeoff associated with the manipulation of the social information.
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