Abstract
This paper examines a simple element of financial incentive-design whether the incentive takes the form of a fee for bad behavior or a reward for good behavior-to determine if the framing of the incentive influences the policy's effectiveness. I investigate the effect of two similar policies aimed at reducing disposable bag use: a $ 0.05 tax on disposable bag use and a $ 0.05 bonus for reusable bag use. While the tax decreased disposable bag use by over 40 percentage points, the bonus generated virtually no effect on behavior. These results are consistent with a model of loss aversion.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 177-210 |
Number of pages | 34 |
Journal | American Economic Journal: Economic Policy |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 1 2018 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all)