Mice games reveal why we sell out our morals
Mice games reveal why we sell out our morals
A German economist has worked out how a cheap deal can make people ignore their personal convictions - and says his study debunks the idea that market forces can iron out unethical practices.
We've all done it - bought that cut-price T-shirt despite deep opposition to child labour or the exploitation of poor workers in developing nations. We've almost all at one point plumped for the cheaper eggs or milk which were almost certainly produced in inhumane conditions.
Armin Falk, an economist at the University of Bamberg, set up a series of experiments to figure out how and why our personal convictions so often fly out the window when we are confronted with a possible bargain.
The Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper said Falk and his team figured out it was not just the prospect of getting a good deal that undermined good intentions - being in a competitive market made it even worse.
http://www.thelocal.de/society/20130624-50481.html
