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Do voluntary commitment mechanisms improve welfare? The effect of mandatory and voluntary oaths in a social dilemma
Author(s) -
Davis Brent J.,
JaberLopez Tarek
Publication year - 2023
Publication title -
bulletin of economic research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.227
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1467-8586
pISSN - 0307-3378
DOI - 10.1111/boer.12369
Subject(s) - oath , dilemma , welfare , turnover , social dilemma , business , social welfare , law and economics , law , economics , social psychology , psychology , political science , management , philosophy , epistemology
We investigate whether oaths can enforce property rights in a social dilemma and increase welfare. We examine the impact of mandatory and voluntary oaths in a laboratory experiment where individuals can produce wealth, protect accumulated wealth, and take wealth from others. Individuals are more productive when oaths are mandatory compared to a no‐oath environment. Subjects’ voluntary signing oaths behave similarly to those who sign a mandatory oath. When the oath is voluntary, nonoath‐taking individuals engage in nonproductive behavior, negating the positive impact from the voluntary oath. Our results show that altering commitment mechanisms can result in varying welfare levels.