The description of the wallet does make it sound like garbage. They probably should have used a higher quality (if well-worn) wallet in the prevailing local style. Lots of issues with this study design in general.
Doesn't that just make the results even more interesting? 60+% of "garbage" got returned in Sweden! Why would people return garbage?
Re:Civic honesty around the globe
by sonnyblarney on Thursday June 20, 2019 @07:50PM
(#20238631)
That's a great point.
A grocery list and a business card is hardly 'a wallet'.
Even with $13 ... that's still 'a wallet with some lose change'.
Without credit cards, id, or some some real money, i.e. 'meaningful to the person who lost it', it's an odd measure.
If it was a regular wallet full of useful cards, perhaps some sentimental things like photos etc. then I'd want to get it back to them regardless of whether it contained some cash. I think this experiment might work better with a backpack or a mobile phone.