Asking questions about vices really does increase vice behavior

In a commentary in the previous issue of Social Influence, Schneider, Tahk, and Krosnick raise concerns about the analytical techniques and conclusions drawn in Williams, Block, and Fitzsimons (2006). In this response, we address a number of issues raised by their comment. We discuss their thorough reanalysis of our data, what we believe it implies, and what conclusions should be drawn. We also briefly present a number of replications of the Williams et al. experiment and discuss what the collective implications of this work are. Ultimately, we conclude that the original warning cast by Williams et al. still stands: when we ask questions about vice behaviors we should do so with great care as we may unintentionally be increasing the behavior we are asking about.

Duke Scholars

Author Gavan J. Fitzsimons Fuqua School of Business