We study by means of a laboratory experiment the role of individuals’ empathy in the Vote-with-the-Wallet Game. Our main purpose is to analyze the impact of the ability to empathize on participants’ behavior when asked to choose between two specific types of product: a cheaper conventional good and a more expensive one which, however, produces a positive externality for the other participants. We consider three manipulations: a) a redistribution mechanism where the expensive product is subsidized by the buyers of the cheaper one; b) a framed version of the game where the expensive good is described as produced by a socially responsible company; c) a treatment where information about other participants’ behavior are made public. We find that all the manipulations increase the rate of contribution to the public good with respect to the baseline treatment and that the effects are stronger among participants who show higher levels of empathy.

中文翻译：

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移情和对社会负责的消费：电子钱包投票游戏的实验

我们通过实验室实验研究了个人同情在“带钱包投票”游戏中的作用。我们的主要目的是分析当被要求在两种特定类型的产品之间进行选择时，移情能力对参与者行为的影响：一种较便宜的常规商品和一种较贵的商品，但会对其他参与者产生积极的外部性。我们考虑三种操纵：a）一种重新分配机制，其中昂贵产品由较便宜产品的购买者补贴；b）游戏的带框版本，其中昂贵的商品被描述为由具有社会责任感的公司生产；c）公开有关其他参与者行为的信息的治疗。