The Effects of Money-Priming on Decision Making
Thomas Payne 41311823
University of Canterbury
Abstract
In this study we tested the effects of money-priming on the decisions made by students at University of Canterbury surrounding flu vaccination. 447 students in the PSYC106 class labs at UC were tested in a money-priming group and control group to see if mentioning money would make the participants more selfish. The results showed that money-priming had little effect on the participants’ decisions but other factors such as prior knowledge and previous vaccination history came into account. The hypothesis stated was disproved which showed that money-priming does not necessarily effect decision making regarding flu …show more content…
These factors were the money priming group versus control group, herd immunity information being present versus no information about herd immunity and individual benefits highlighted versus social benefits highlighted. There were eight total experimental conditions. The money-priming in the experiment was through the memory recall exercise. The memory recall exercise essentially featured four lists of eight words shown on the screen, one after the other. After each individual list of eight words was shown the participants had to record the words they could remember on the memory recall sheet. Each words was present on the screen for 1.5 seconds with a white screen showing for a second between each word. 50% of the participants were randomly placed in the control group whilst the other 50% were randomly placed in the money-priming group. For the control group, the words were random neutral words unrelated to money (e.g., desk, factory, tape, etc.) whereas the money-priming group had words that were associated with money (e.g., inheritance, wealth, income, …show more content…
Results
Memory and Vaccination Study - Survey results as a function of experimental conditions # Condition Vac Intention Vac Hist_Past 12 mth Vac Hist_Ever Flu_Next 12 mth Flu_Past 12 mth Free Vac Knowl Eligibility UCPolicyEffect M/F Age
59 C_HI_SB 4.86 1.32 1.66 4.75 1.47 1.66 2.22 1.27 1.83 1.17
50 C_HI_IB 4.82 1.28 1.7 4.56 1.28 1.6 2.14 1.24 1.64 1.06
59 C_OI_SB 5.07 1.39 1.73 4.63 1.47 1.61 2.32 1.27 1.71 1.05
65 C_OI_IB 4.32 1.22 1.66 4.22 1.28 1.55 2.23 1.23 1.74 1.17
52 M_HI_SB 4.79 1.37 1.63 4.58 1.37 1.67 2.10 1.31 1.65 1.17
44 M_HI_IB 4.45 1.36 1.66 4.18 1.43 1.77 2.18 1.25 1.61 1.05
56 M_OI_SB 5.59 1.45 1.79 5.09 1.50 1.70 2.18 1.34 1.79 1.07
62 M_OI_IB 4.94 1.35 1.68 3.97 1.31 1.63 2.21 1.26 1.53 1.10
Key for experimental condition:
C: Control priming
M: Money priming
HI: Herd information communited
OI: Other immune system information communicated
SB: Social benefit highlighted
IB: Individual benefit highlighted
Key for survey questions:
Vac Intention: 1 - No, certainly not; 9 - Yes,
Thomas Payne 41311823
University of Canterbury
Abstract
In this study we tested the effects of money-priming on the decisions made by students at University of Canterbury surrounding flu vaccination. 447 students in the PSYC106 class labs at UC were tested in a money-priming group and control group to see if mentioning money would make the participants more selfish. The results showed that money-priming had little effect on the participants’ decisions but other factors such as prior knowledge and previous vaccination history came into account. The hypothesis stated was disproved which showed that money-priming does not necessarily effect decision making regarding flu …show more content…
These factors were the money priming group versus control group, herd immunity information being present versus no information about herd immunity and individual benefits highlighted versus social benefits highlighted. There were eight total experimental conditions. The money-priming in the experiment was through the memory recall exercise. The memory recall exercise essentially featured four lists of eight words shown on the screen, one after the other. After each individual list of eight words was shown the participants had to record the words they could remember on the memory recall sheet. Each words was present on the screen for 1.5 seconds with a white screen showing for a second between each word. 50% of the participants were randomly placed in the control group whilst the other 50% were randomly placed in the money-priming group. For the control group, the words were random neutral words unrelated to money (e.g., desk, factory, tape, etc.) whereas the money-priming group had words that were associated with money (e.g., inheritance, wealth, income, …show more content…
Results
Memory and Vaccination Study - Survey results as a function of experimental conditions # Condition Vac Intention Vac Hist_Past 12 mth Vac Hist_Ever Flu_Next 12 mth Flu_Past 12 mth Free Vac Knowl Eligibility UCPolicyEffect M/F Age
59 C_HI_SB 4.86 1.32 1.66 4.75 1.47 1.66 2.22 1.27 1.83 1.17
50 C_HI_IB 4.82 1.28 1.7 4.56 1.28 1.6 2.14 1.24 1.64 1.06
59 C_OI_SB 5.07 1.39 1.73 4.63 1.47 1.61 2.32 1.27 1.71 1.05
65 C_OI_IB 4.32 1.22 1.66 4.22 1.28 1.55 2.23 1.23 1.74 1.17
52 M_HI_SB 4.79 1.37 1.63 4.58 1.37 1.67 2.10 1.31 1.65 1.17
44 M_HI_IB 4.45 1.36 1.66 4.18 1.43 1.77 2.18 1.25 1.61 1.05
56 M_OI_SB 5.59 1.45 1.79 5.09 1.50 1.70 2.18 1.34 1.79 1.07
62 M_OI_IB 4.94 1.35 1.68 3.97 1.31 1.63 2.21 1.26 1.53 1.10
Key for experimental condition:
C: Control priming
M: Money priming
HI: Herd information communited
OI: Other immune system information communicated
SB: Social benefit highlighted
IB: Individual benefit highlighted
Key for survey questions:
Vac Intention: 1 - No, certainly not; 9 - Yes,