Rationality and Risk: Experimental Evidence from Cote d'Ivoire

Do the cognitive biases established in WEIRD populations also exist in other populations? We test the implications of dual-process theory by varying experimental scenarios between those hypothesized to produce different levels of emotional response within a developing-country context. We hypothesize that respondents in an African setting will exhibit rational responses to questions about disease and corruption as these are relatively normalized parts of life, but they may be subject to framing biases under emotionally provocative events like terrorist events. In a series of field experiments conducted in Cote d'Ivoire, we find that respondents exhibit responses that are consistent with the expectations of the rational-choice model. However, when evaluating a question about terrorism, responses deviate from rationality and do so most significantly in Grand Bassam where a major attack occurred, consistent with the predictions of the availability heuristic.