TY - UNPB

T1 - Preference for Control vs. Random Dictatorship

AU - Estache, Antonio

AU - Foucart, Renaud

AU - Georgalos, Konstantinos

PY - 2024/5/31

Y1 - 2024/5/31

N2 - In a laboratory experiment, we find that subjects do not exhibit preference for control when the alternative is a random dictatorship, a lottery implementing either their choice or the choice of someone else with equal probability. In contrast,we replicate Owens et al. (2014)’s result that they do so when the alternative is to have the choice of someone else implemented with certainty. This implies that the introduction of random dictatorships in discrete procedures such as those used forthe allocation of some public procurement contracts does not necessarily involve a loss of perceived autonomy.

AB - In a laboratory experiment, we find that subjects do not exhibit preference for control when the alternative is a random dictatorship, a lottery implementing either their choice or the choice of someone else with equal probability. In contrast,we replicate Owens et al. (2014)’s result that they do so when the alternative is to have the choice of someone else implemented with certainty. This implies that the introduction of random dictatorships in discrete procedures such as those used forthe allocation of some public procurement contracts does not necessarily involve a loss of perceived autonomy.

KW - control

KW - lotteries

KW - random dictatorship

M3 - Working paper

T3 - Economics Working Papers Series

BT - Preference for Control vs. Random Dictatorship

PB - Lancaster University, Department of Economics

CY - Lancaster

ER -