Tax compliance is not fundamentally influenced by incidental emotions: An experiment

Author(s): Janina Enachescu, Ziga Puklavec, Jerome Olsen, Erico Kirchler
Abstract: The present study investigates the impact of incidental emotions on tax compliance behavior in an experimental setting. Different theories are divided about how experiencing incidental emotions should influence tax decisions and the few existing studies yield inconsistent results. Our aim was to investigate differences between three specific emotions, namely anger, fear, and happiness. This allowed a comparison in compliance behavior as a function of differences in emotional valence as well as in specific emotional qualities. For this purpose, a sample of 264 individuals participated in a tax experiment. After a baseline treatment, one of the three emotions was induced using video-clips with background music. Moreover, emotional arousal was assessed by measuring electrodermal activity. Manipulation check items as well as elevated arousal levels after the emotion induction provided support for a successful emotion induction. Nevertheless, we did not observe any tax compliance differences between the anger, fear, and happiness conditions. Our results speak against a fundamental role of incidental emotions for tax compliance decisions.
Organisation(s): Department of Occupational, Economic and Social Psychology
External organisation(s): Tilburg University, Max-Plank Institut zur Erforschung von Gemeinschaftsgütern, IHS - Institut für Höhere Studien und wissenschaftliche Forschung
Journal: Economics of Governance
Volume: 22
Pages: 345-362
No. of pages: 18
ISSN: 1435-6104
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10101-021-00256-9
Publication date: 2020
Peer reviewed: Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012: 501029 Economic psychology
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all), Business and International Management
Portal url: https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/72ce8c86-2177-40ad-9dbe-c67dd28b54ba