Prolific Study 2024

In August 2024, the Chair of Environmental and Behavioral Economics conducted a study on the topic of cigarette litter in public spaces on the online platform "Prolific." As part of this study, the 750 participants made a donation decision. The participants had the opportunity to donate all or part of a possible bonus payment of £15 (approx. €17.50) to a "civil courage campaign." The participants were informed beforehand that 10% of all participants (randomly chosen) would actually receive the bonus payment minus the donation decision made and that the donations raised would be used to carry out the campaign. The aim of this campaign was to raise awareness of the problem of cigarette litter among the general public and to inform them about ways in which this problem can be combated through more civil courage.

The donations of £276 (approx. €330) generated in the study were used in full to place an advertisement in the Fuldaer Zeitung (circulation: 31,223) on October 26, 2024. The advertisement and the invoice can be viewed in the image gallery below (click to enlarge).