Experiments in Culture and Corruption: A Review

29 Pages Posted: 20 Apr 2016

See all articles by Sheheryar Banuri

Sheheryar Banuri

University of East Anglia (UEA) - School of Economic and Social Studies; University of East Anglia (UEA) - Centre for Behavioural and Experimental Social Science (CBESS)

Catherine C. Eckel

Texas A&M University

Date Written: May 1, 2012

Abstract

Two decades of empirical evaluation have shown that corruption has a negative impact on economic growth, political stability, judicial effectiveness, democratization, educational attainment, and equality of income. However, corruption exists, persists, and varies significantly by culture. Lab studies have recently come to the forefront in identifying both the incentives and disincentives for corrupt behavior. However, lab studies on culture and corruption have led to some puzzling, contradictory results. This paper begins with a discussion of non-experimental work in this area, and evaluates the experimental findings in the context of earlier research. The authors sketch out the channels through which culture interacts with corruption (through institutions and social norms), and argue that discrepancies in experimental results may be due to differences in design (including repetition or unobserved variation in beliefs) or to differences in the response to punishment across societies. In addition to exploring design-based reasons for previous contradictory findings, avenues for future research include: behavioral responses to different types of externalities; replicating results in different countries; and utilizing the lab to formulate effective anti-corruption measures.

Keywords: Public Sector Corruption & Anticorruption Measures, Corruption & Anticorruption Law, Cultural Policy, Crime and Society, Social Accountability

Suggested Citation

Banuri, Sheheryar and Eckel, Catherine C., Experiments in Culture and Corruption: A Review (May 1, 2012). World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 6064, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2055105

Sheheryar Banuri (Contact Author)

University of East Anglia (UEA) - School of Economic and Social Studies ( email )

Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ
United Kingdom
+441603591246 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.uea.ac.uk/economics/people/profile/s-banuri

University of East Anglia (UEA) - Centre for Behavioural and Experimental Social Science (CBESS) ( email )

United Kingdom
+441603591246 (Phone)

Catherine C. Eckel

Texas A&M University ( email )

5201 University Blvd.
College Station, TX 77843-4228
United States

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