Subtle Cues and Economic Games

Abstract

<p>Several recent studies have reported elevated levels of prosocial behaviour by participants experimentally exposed to images of eyes compared to those exposed to control images. I report the results of three economic games experiments in which participants exposed to images of eyes were no more generous, and in one case were significantly less generous, than those exposed to images of landscapes. I discuss the possible contributions to these results of subtle aspects of experimental stimuli and game structure, the relationship between participant and partner, methods of participant recruiting, and personality characteristics of participants.</p>