This study explores the bi-directional relationship between attractiveness and prosocial behavior. While it is known that we often expect attractive people to act more prosocial, this research also examines how someone's actions can affect how attractive we perceive them to be. In a pre-registered incentivized behavioral experiment (n = 250), using avatar pictures representative of previous players in a dictator game, we asked participants i) about their belief how prosocial the previous players behaved based solely on their avatars, which were either attractive or not, and ii) to judge the avatars' attractiveness after learning whether their actions were prosocial or selfish. As anticipated, participants expected attracThis study explores the bi-directional relationship between attractiveness and prosocial behavior. While it is known that we often expect attractive people to act more prosocial, this research also examines how someone’s actions can affect how attractive we perceive them to be. In a preregistered incentivized behavioral experiment (n = 250), using avatar pictures representative of previous players in a dictator game, we asked participants (i) about their belief how prosocial the previous players behaved based solely on their avatars, which were either attractive or not, and (ii) to judge the avatars’ attractiveness after learning whether their actions were prosocial or selfish. As anticipated, participants expected attractive avatars to behave more prosocially. More importantly, our study identified a robust causal effect of prosocial behavior on perceived attractiveness. Furthermore, those who already believed attractive people are more likely to be prosocial also judged the prosocial avatars as more attractive than those who were selfish. Our study highlights a dynamic, bi-directional relationship between attractiveness and behavior, offering a novel perspective on the intricate interplay of attractiveness, perception, and behavior in social contexts.tive avatars to behave more prosocially. More importantly, our study identified a robust causal effect of prosocial behavior on perceived attractiveness. Furthermore, those who already believed attractive people are more likely to be prosocial also judged the prosocial avatars as more attractive than those who were selfish. Our study highlights a dynamic, bi-directional relationship between attractiveness and behavior, offering a novel perspective on the intricate interplay of attractiveness, perception, and behavior in social contexts.

Due to diffusion of responsibility, majority voting may induce immoral and selfish behavior because voters are rarely solely responsible for the outcome. Across three behavioral experiments (two preregistered; n = 1983), we test this hypothesis in situations where there is a conflict between morality and material self-interest. Participants were randomly assigned to make decisions about extracting money from a charity either in an experimental referendum or individually. We find no evidence that voting induces immoral behavior. Neither do we find that people self-servingly distort their beliefs about their responsibility for the outcome when they vote. If anything, the results suggest that voting makes people less immoral.

Inaccurate beliefs about procedural fairness often motivate people to act in self-serving and selfish manners. We investigate whether information about a level playing field might mitigate such behaviors. In a pre-registered behavioral experiment (n = 444), using a competitive and real-effort task, we manipulate whether participants are informed about the fairness of a competition or not. Following the competition, participants (who either won or lost the competition) decided how to distribute earnings between themselves and their opponent. We show that informing participants about the fairness of the competition reduces selfish behavior among losers, while behavior among winners remains unaffected. Moreover, we show that losers who were not informed about the fairness of the competition incorrectly viewed it as having been unfairly stacked against them (i.e., believing that they encountered significantly more difficult tasks than their opponents). Our findings suggest that information about a level playing field reduces selfish behavior and is important for understanding when and why motivated reasoning about procedural fairness helps people uphold a positive self-image.

How does the experience of success in combination with confidence affect meritocratic beliefs and preferences for redistribution? In a large-scale experiment, we manipulate both the level of confidence in own performance and the outcome of a competition to provide causal evidence. First, we document that increased confidence has a polarizing effect on meritocratic beliefs: Whereas we find no difference in beliefs between winners and losers in a low confidence treatment, increasing the level of confidence causes winners to believe that the competition is more likely to be determined by merit compared to losers. Furthermore, we find that confidence has no causal effect on preferences for redistribution. However, we do find that winning the competition significantly reduces the willingness to redistribute, regardless of confidence treatment. Our findings suggest that disagreements about the causes of inequality are most likely to occur among people who expect to succeed given a meritocratic process, but also that the disparities in beliefs have a limited causal impact on their preferences for the allocation of earnings.

Place-based resentment is hostility toward place-based outgroups perceived as enjoying undeserved benefits. Prior studies have linked this resentment to shaping public opinions and fostering affective polarization. However, prevailing evidence is mostly correlational, lacking preregistration, and predominantly from Anglo-Saxon countries. Here, we propose a rigorous survey experiment exploring the urban-rural tension and its causal effect on political information processing. Our focus is Sweden, historically characterized by consensual policymaking and ambitious geographical equalization schemes, presenting a somewhat more unlikely environment for observing place-based resentment. We will collect data from a Swedish sample to explore urban- rural tensions and the causal effect of place-identity cues (rural vs. urban) on agreements with political statements. By studying a less likely case for polarization, the proposed study has the potential to enhance our understanding of how place identity affects polarization and the political discourse.

Work in progress

Att felaktigt uppfatta en tävling som orättvis kan få människor att agera själviskt. I ett experiment undersökte vi hur information om att en tävling var rättvis påverkar själviskt beteende. Försöksdeltagarna tävlade i par och hälften av deltagarna fick information om att tävlingen var rättvis. Efter tävlingen avgjorts kunde förloraren ta pengar från vinnaren och vinnaren kunde ge pengar till förloraren. Resultaten visar att informationen om tävlingens rättvisa minskade själviskt beteende bland de som förlorade tävlingen (förlorarna tog mindre), medan vinnarnas beteende inte påverkades. Studien visar på vikten av att stärka människors övertygelser om rättvisa för att förhindra själviskt och oetiskt beteende.

Att felaktigt uppfatta en tävling som orättvis kan få människor att agera själviskt. I ett experiment undersökte vi hur information om att en tävling var rättvis påverkar själviskt beteende. Försöksdeltagarna tävlade i par och hälften av deltagarna fick information om att tävlingen var rättvis. Efter tävlingen avgjorts kunde förloraren ta pengar från vinnaren och vinnaren kunde ge pengar till förloraren. Resultaten visar att informationen om tävlingens rättvisa minskade själviskt beteende bland de som förlorade tävlingen (förlorarna tog mindre), medan vinnarnas beteende inte påverkades. Studien visar på vikten av att stärka människors övertygelser om rättvisa för att förhindra själviskt och oetiskt beteende.