Does Moral Transgression Promote Anti-social Behavior? Evidence from Lab-in-the-Field Experiments

Using two lab-in-the-field experiments, we study whether initial transgression leads to subsequent anti-social behavior. In the first stage, subjects participated in an experimental market game. In the second stage, subjects were given an opportunity to participate in anti-social experiment. We find that subjects who impose a negative externality on uninvolved third parties in the market game are also more likely to burn their partner's income in the second experiment. This finding is consistent with a consciencenumbing effect but could possibly also be explained by participants' preferences for consistency.