Essays on unethical behaviour

On Monday 4 September 2023 Pablo Ignacio Soto Mota will hold a trial lecture on a prescribed topic and defend his thesis for the PhD degree at NHH.

Unethical behaviours, such as dishonesty, theft, and fraud, are costly for society. They inhibit firm performance, foster global corruption, obstruct education, and diminish health. Recognizing what influences unethical actions is crucial for shaping effective policies to mitigate their harmful effects.

Recent literature in economics recognizes that in addition to selfish motivations, concerns for others and contextual factors also play a role in human moral behaviour. The three chapters in this dissertation use lab and field experiments to extend the existing body of knowledge on this topic.

the impact of banking crises and natural disasters on households

On Tuesday 29 August 2023 Alessandro Pizzigolotto will hold a trial lecture on a prescribed topic and defend his thesis for the PhD degree at NHH.

The first chapter examines the impact of making a promise on the moral cost of being dishonest using representative samples of the US and Norway. The study found that a non-binding promise of honesty significantly reduced lying for a monetary reward by about 30% in both countries.

The second chapter presents a study on the factors influencing patients' honesty about two health-related habits that people tend to lie about: alcohol consumption and nutritional diet. The chapter reports the results from a field experiment that compares different question formulations that doctors typically use.

Pablo Ignacio Soto Mota, PhD Candidate, Department of Economics, NHH.

The authors found that these formulations do not increase patients' honesty as doctors would expect. However, in a smaller sample, it was found that male patients report healthier habits to female doctors (compared to male doctors), suggesting potential gender dynamics in honesty during clinical interactions.

The third chapter evaluates how individuals perceive their responsibility when causing harm as part of a group. Results showed that people were more likely to opt for an action causing harm when they were part of a larger group, highlighting the relevance of "diffusion of responsibility" in group settings. Perceived social norms, indicating group consensus, further influenced these decisions.