Can the decoy effect increase cooperation in networks? An experiment
General Economics
2025-10-07 v2 Economics
Abstract
This paper investigates whether the decoy effect - specifically the attraction effect - can foster cooperation in social networks. In a lab experiment, we show that introducing a dominated option increases the selection of the target choice, especially in early decisions. The effect is stronger in individual settings but persists in networks despite free-riding incentives, with variation depending on the decision-maker's strategic position.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2509.13887,
title = {Can the decoy effect increase cooperation in networks? An experiment},
author = {Claudia Cerrone and Francesco Feri and Anita Gantner and Paolo Pin},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.13887},
year = {2025}
}