Sven Fischer (Newcastle University), 5 June 2017, 4:30pm, DUBS 453

Speaker: Sven Fischer, Newcastle University

Title: Consuming copyrighted media without paying: A controlled experiment with a representative sample

Date & Time: 5 June 2017 (Thursday), 4:30-5:45 pm

Venue:  Durham University Business School 453

Abstract:

We report the results of controlled experiments on unlawful consumption of non-rivalry consumer goods such as film and music, with a sample of 1,010 participants, representative for the adult population aged 18 to 65 in the United Kingdom. Our study allows to identify how consumer behaviour is affected by considerations towards the rights holder, deterrence, intrinsic norms, and normative and empirical expectations. We are furthermore able to correlate experimental and real-world behaviour with reported norms, personality measures and socio-demographic characteristics. This main study with a representative sample is a follow up on an experiment with a student population.  

Our results confirm a strong reaction to deterrence with an overweighting of small probabilities. Deservingness of the seller has only a limited, and mostly insignificant effect on behaviour. Overall, eliciting norms and expectations before decisions decreases unlawful consumption throughout. This effect is strongest among women and older participants, and results in significantly less unlawful consumptions among these demographics. Reported intrinsic norms (what someone should do) are highly positively correlated with decisions, but only weakly, though significantly, with normative (what you think others think one should do) and empirical expectations. 

Last modified: Tue, 30 May 2017 13:30:45 BST