Personality
Preferences in Laboratory Economics Experiments
Abstract
This
paper uses the Jungian theory of mental activity and psychological
type, as
measured by the widely-used Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), to gain
insight
into subject behavior in four non-cooperative laboratory experiments.
Student
volunteers at the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) participated in one of the
following one-shot games: a dictator game, an ultimatum game, a trust
game, or
a prisoner’s dilemma game. In general, subject behavior in our
experiments is
consistent with hypotheses based on the theoretical underpinnings of
the MBTI
and its descriptions of psychological type. Specifically, individuals
with a
preference combination of extraversion in
orientation and feeling in judgment
exhibited the most cooperative or other-regarding behavior.
Importantly, with
controls for personality preferences, we find little evidence of
behavioral
differences between males and females. Furthermore,
we conclude that seniority breeds feelings of entitlement. Seniors at
USNA generally
exhibited the least cooperative or other-regarding behavior.
Keywords: Experiments; preferences;
personality