Compliance Behavior in Networks: Evidence from a Field Experiment

A-Tier
Journal: American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
Year: 2020
Volume: 12
Issue: 2
Pages: 96-133

Score contribution per author:

1.341 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper studies the spread of compliance behavior in neighborhood networks in Austria. We exploit a field experiment that varied the content of mailings sent to potential evaders of TV license fees. The data reveal a strong treatment spillover: untreated households are more likely to switch from evasion to compliance in response to mailings received by their network neighbors. Digging deeper into the properties of the spillover, we find that it is concentrated among close neighbors of the targets and increases with the treated households' diffusion centrality. Local concentration of equally treated households implies a lower spillover.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aejapp:v:12:y:2020:i:2:p:96-133
Journal Field
General
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25