Promises, image concerns, and excuses–An experimental investigation

This paper tests the robustness of promise keeping in economic interactions using a laboratory experiment. Our design allows us to examine the roles of both social- and self-image concerns, and to investigate whether these concerns are diminished when participants are provided with responsibility-diffusing excuses. When the responsibility for a broken promise is undeniable, promise keeping is high. However, when plausible excuses are available that allow participants to preserve their social ima