{
 "title": "Same Big Mac, two prices",
 "publisher": "The Lewsearch Report",
 "type": "Pulse (not graded)",
 "published": "2026-10-01",
 "fielded": "2026-10-01",
 "panel": {
  "n": 3000,
  "description": "Simulated U.S. adults from Lewsearch's production agent pool (eleven source markets in six states), raked to national Census ACS targets on age, gender, race and ethnicity, education, income and region, and to a national party identification target (Democrats and leaners, Republicans and leaners, independents).",
  "kish_effective_n": 1682,
  "weighting_note": "Income is raked in the four bands the agents carry (under $35k, $35k-$75k, $75k to $125k or $150k, and $125k or $150k and up; the top split depends on the source market), using ACS shares re-cut to those bands.",
  "engine": "Lewsearch production model, verbalized scoring, answer order shuffled for every respondent",
  "display_floor": "Each option's share is floored at 3% and the distribution renormalized, the production display rule."
 },
 "news_context": "News context: On September 29, 2026, Reuters reported that McDonald's is increasingly using artificial intelligence to guide menu prices at its U.S. restaurants. The system recommends an \"optimal price\" for each item at each restaurant, and one of its inputs is an estimate of how much customers in that area are willing to pay. In a Reuters check of the McDonald's app, a company-run restaurant in Fresno, California charged $5.69 for a Big Mac while another company-run restaurant two miles away charged $6.89. Reuters could not confirm whether the AI system caused that gap. McDonald's says franchise owners set their own prices, that costs differ from store to store, and that the system is a tool for restaurant-specific recommendations.",
 "experiment": {
  "base": "Two McDonald's restaurants two miles apart in the same city charge different prices for the same Big Mac: $5.69 at one and $6.89 at the other, about 21 percent more.",
  "assignment": "Random, seeded, about 1,000 respondents per version. Each respondent saw one version.",
  "versions": [
   {
    "id": "A",
    "label": "AI estimated what locals will pay",
    "reason": "The higher price was recommended by an AI pricing system that estimated customers near the second restaurant are willing to pay more."
   },
   {
    "id": "B",
    "label": "Higher local costs",
    "reason": "The second restaurant pays higher rent and wages, and its owner set the higher price to cover those costs."
   },
   {
    "id": "C",
    "label": "No reason given",
    "reason": "No reason is given for the difference."
   }
  ],
  "measures": [
   {
    "id": "E1",
    "question": "How fair or unfair is this price difference?",
    "options": [
     "Very fair",
     "Somewhat fair",
     "Somewhat unfair",
     "Very unfair"
    ],
    "focus": "Unfair (somewhat or very)",
    "by_version": {
     "A": {
      "distribution": [
       2.9,
       14.1,
       47.2,
       35.8
      ],
      "focus_pct": 83.0,
      "focus_se": 0.91,
      "n": 1000,
      "cuts": {
       "Age 18-34": {
        "pct": 82.8,
        "n": 322
       },
       "Age 35-54": {
        "pct": 82.1,
        "n": 333
       },
       "Age 55+": {
        "pct": 83.9,
        "n": 345
       },
       "Income Under $35k": {
        "pct": 92.9,
        "n": 253
       },
       "Income $35k-$75k": {
        "pct": 87.7,
        "n": 306
       },
       "Income $75k-$125k": {
        "pct": 82.0,
        "n": 194
       },
       "Income $125k+": {
        "pct": 71.1,
        "n": 247
       },
       "Democrats and leaners": {
        "pct": 85.5,
        "n": 407
       },
       "Republicans and leaners": {
        "pct": 80.2,
        "n": 315
       }
      }
     },
     "B": {
      "distribution": [
       4.4,
       41.4,
       40.9,
       13.4
      ],
      "focus_pct": 54.3,
      "focus_se": 1.28,
      "n": 1000,
      "cuts": {
       "Age 18-34": {
        "pct": 55.2,
        "n": 343
       },
       "Age 35-54": {
        "pct": 54.6,
        "n": 319
       },
       "Age 55+": {
        "pct": 53.1,
        "n": 338
       },
       "Income Under $35k": {
        "pct": 70.9,
        "n": 234
       },
       "Income $35k-$75k": {
        "pct": 61.0,
        "n": 324
       },
       "Income $75k-$125k": {
        "pct": 48.7,
        "n": 218
       },
       "Income $125k+": {
        "pct": 38.4,
        "n": 224
       },
       "Democrats and leaners": {
        "pct": 56.1,
        "n": 375
       },
       "Republicans and leaners": {
        "pct": 52.4,
        "n": 343
       }
      }
     },
     "C": {
      "distribution": [
       2.9,
       7.3,
       45.6,
       44.1
      ],
      "focus_pct": 89.7,
      "focus_se": 0.63,
      "n": 1000,
      "cuts": {
       "Age 18-34": {
        "pct": 88.7,
        "n": 314
       },
       "Age 35-54": {
        "pct": 88.9,
        "n": 309
       },
       "Age 55+": {
        "pct": 91.1,
        "n": 377
       },
       "Income Under $35k": {
        "pct": 94.0,
        "n": 255
       },
       "Income $35k-$75k": {
        "pct": 91.3,
        "n": 305
       },
       "Income $75k-$125k": {
        "pct": 87.9,
        "n": 217
       },
       "Income $125k+": {
        "pct": 86.0,
        "n": 223
       },
       "Democrats and leaners": {
        "pct": 92.7,
        "n": 379
       },
       "Republicans and leaners": {
        "pct": 87.1,
        "n": 323
       }
      }
     }
    },
    "tests": {
     "A_vs_B": {
      "diff": 28.7,
      "se": 1.57,
      "z": 18.3
     },
     "A_vs_C": {
      "diff": -6.7,
      "se": 1.11,
      "z": -6.0
     },
     "B_vs_C": {
      "diff": -35.4,
      "se": 1.43,
      "z": -24.8
     }
    }
   },
   {
    "id": "E2",
    "question": "If the McDonald's closest to you were the one charging $6.89, how would that affect your trust in McDonald's?",
    "options": [
     "I would trust McDonald's more",
     "No effect on my trust",
     "I would trust McDonald's somewhat less",
     "I would trust McDonald's much less"
    ],
    "focus": "Would trust McDonald's less (somewhat or much)",
    "by_version": {
     "A": {
      "distribution": [
       2.9,
       14.0,
       68.5,
       14.5
      ],
      "focus_pct": 83.0,
      "focus_se": 0.93,
      "n": 1000,
      "cuts": {
       "Age 18-34": {
        "pct": 83.3,
        "n": 322
       },
       "Age 35-54": {
        "pct": 83.5,
        "n": 333
       },
       "Age 55+": {
        "pct": 82.3,
        "n": 345
       },
       "Income Under $35k": {
        "pct": 93.8,
        "n": 253
       },
       "Income $35k-$75k": {
        "pct": 86.5,
        "n": 306
       },
       "Income $75k-$125k": {
        "pct": 80.2,
        "n": 194
       },
       "Income $125k+": {
        "pct": 73.0,
        "n": 247
       },
       "Democrats and leaners": {
        "pct": 83.3,
        "n": 407
       },
       "Republicans and leaners": {
        "pct": 83.8,
        "n": 315
       }
      }
     },
     "B": {
      "distribution": [
       3.0,
       19.7,
       63.5,
       13.8
      ],
      "focus_pct": 77.3,
      "focus_se": 1.13,
      "n": 1000,
      "cuts": {
       "Age 18-34": {
        "pct": 75.7,
        "n": 343
       },
       "Age 35-54": {
        "pct": 77.1,
        "n": 319
       },
       "Age 55+": {
        "pct": 78.2,
        "n": 338
       },
       "Income Under $35k": {
        "pct": 89.0,
        "n": 234
       },
       "Income $35k-$75k": {
        "pct": 81.5,
        "n": 324
       },
       "Income $75k-$125k": {
        "pct": 73.3,
        "n": 218
       },
       "Income $125k+": {
        "pct": 64.9,
        "n": 224
       },
       "Democrats and leaners": {
        "pct": 78.7,
        "n": 375
       },
       "Republicans and leaners": {
        "pct": 77.4,
        "n": 343
       }
      }
     },
     "C": {
      "distribution": [
       2.9,
       6.9,
       68.0,
       22.2
      ],
      "focus_pct": 90.2,
      "focus_se": 0.58,
      "n": 1000,
      "cuts": {
       "Age 18-34": {
        "pct": 90.1,
        "n": 314
       },
       "Age 35-54": {
        "pct": 89.8,
        "n": 309
       },
       "Age 55+": {
        "pct": 90.6,
        "n": 377
       },
       "Income Under $35k": {
        "pct": 94.2,
        "n": 255
       },
       "Income $35k-$75k": {
        "pct": 91.9,
        "n": 305
       },
       "Income $75k-$125k": {
        "pct": 87.9,
        "n": 217
       },
       "Income $125k+": {
        "pct": 86.8,
        "n": 223
       },
       "Democrats and leaners": {
        "pct": 91.2,
        "n": 379
       },
       "Republicans and leaners": {
        "pct": 89.9,
        "n": 323
       }
      }
     }
    },
    "tests": {
     "A_vs_B": {
      "diff": 5.7,
      "se": 1.46,
      "z": 3.9
     },
     "A_vs_C": {
      "diff": -7.2,
      "se": 1.1,
      "z": -6.5
     },
     "B_vs_C": {
      "diff": -12.9,
      "se": 1.27,
      "z": -10.2
     }
    }
   },
   {
    "id": "E3",
    "question": "If the McDonald's closest to you were the one charging $6.89, what would you most likely do?",
    "options": [
     "Pay the higher price",
     "Drive to the cheaper McDonald's",
     "Order something cheaper",
     "Eat somewhere else",
     "I don't eat at McDonald's"
    ],
    "focus": "Would pay the higher price (McDonald's customers only)",
    "by_version": {
     "A": {
      "distribution": [
       17.4,
       52.1,
       24.7,
       2.9,
       2.9
      ],
      "focus_pct": 17.4,
      "focus_se": 1.23,
      "n": 661,
      "cuts": {
       "Age 18-34": {
        "pct": 19.0,
        "n": 263
       },
       "Age 35-54": {
        "pct": 18.3,
        "n": 234
       },
       "Age 55+": {
        "pct": 13.8,
        "n": 164
       },
       "Income Under $35k": {
        "pct": 3.8,
        "n": 209
       },
       "Income $35k-$75k": {
        "pct": 10.5,
        "n": 245
       },
       "Income $75k-$125k": {
        "pct": 22.4,
        "n": 133
       },
       "Income $125k+": {
        "pct": 56.1,
        "n": 74
       },
       "Democrats and leaners": {
        "pct": 17.5,
        "n": 260
       },
       "Republicans and leaners": {
        "pct": 17.4,
        "n": 230
       }
      }
     },
     "B": {
      "distribution": [
       23.1,
       48.0,
       23.1,
       2.9,
       2.9
      ],
      "focus_pct": 23.1,
      "focus_se": 1.36,
      "n": 669,
      "cuts": {
       "Age 18-34": {
        "pct": 27.7,
        "n": 292
       },
       "Age 35-54": {
        "pct": 22.3,
        "n": 232
       },
       "Age 55+": {
        "pct": 17.3,
        "n": 145
       },
       "Income Under $35k": {
        "pct": 6.9,
        "n": 180
       },
       "Income $35k-$75k": {
        "pct": 13.1,
        "n": 264
       },
       "Income $75k-$125k": {
        "pct": 31.2,
        "n": 144
       },
       "Income $125k+": {
        "pct": 61.5,
        "n": 81
       },
       "Democrats and leaners": {
        "pct": 21.0,
        "n": 245
       },
       "Republicans and leaners": {
        "pct": 25.0,
        "n": 252
       }
      }
     },
     "C": {
      "distribution": [
       15.7,
       51.2,
       26.1,
       4.1,
       2.9
      ],
      "focus_pct": 15.7,
      "focus_se": 1.13,
      "n": 658,
      "cuts": {
       "Age 18-34": {
        "pct": 16.1,
        "n": 264
       },
       "Age 35-54": {
        "pct": 19.2,
        "n": 214
       },
       "Age 55+": {
        "pct": 11.2,
        "n": 180
       },
       "Income Under $35k": {
        "pct": 4.6,
        "n": 192
       },
       "Income $35k-$75k": {
        "pct": 9.7,
        "n": 236
       },
       "Income $75k-$125k": {
        "pct": 22.1,
        "n": 153
       },
       "Income $125k+": {
        "pct": 41.7,
        "n": 77
       },
       "Democrats and leaners": {
        "pct": 17.6,
        "n": 266
       },
       "Republicans and leaners": {
        "pct": 13.7,
        "n": 202
       }
      }
     }
    },
    "tests": {
     "A_vs_B": {
      "diff": -5.7,
      "se": 1.83,
      "z": -3.1
     },
     "A_vs_C": {
      "diff": 1.7,
      "se": 1.67,
      "z": 1.0
     },
     "B_vs_C": {
      "diff": 7.4,
      "se": 1.77,
      "z": 4.2
     }
    },
    "base": "Respondents who said they eat at or order from McDonald's at least a few times a year"
   }
  ]
 },
 "questions": [
  {
   "id": "N4",
   "question": "Should restaurants and stores be required to tell customers when AI helped set a price?",
   "options": [
    "Yes, it should be required",
    "No, it should be up to the company",
    "Not sure"
   ],
   "shown_news_context": true,
   "distribution": [
    73.2,
    20.2,
    6.7
   ],
   "n": 3000,
   "cuts": {
    "Age 18-34": [
     73.3,
     19.6,
     7.1
    ],
    "Age 35-54": [
     72.9,
     20.9,
     6.2
    ],
    "Age 55+": [
     73.3,
     20.0,
     6.8
    ],
    "Income Under $35k": [
     76.2,
     17.5,
     6.2
    ],
    "Income $35k-$75k": [
     71.4,
     20.5,
     8.2
    ],
    "Income $75k-$125k": [
     71.0,
     21.6,
     7.4
    ],
    "Income $125k+": [
     74.5,
     20.8,
     4.8
    ],
    "Democrats and leaners": [
     80.0,
     13.4,
     6.6
    ],
    "Republicans and leaners": [
     67.8,
     26.3,
     5.9
    ]
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "N5",
   "question": "When a company uses AI to set prices, who do you think benefits most?",
   "options": [
    "Mostly the company",
    "Mostly customers",
    "Both about equally",
    "Neither",
    "Not sure"
   ],
   "shown_news_context": true,
   "distribution": [
    65.9,
    8.6,
    18.0,
    4.6,
    3.0
   ],
   "n": 3000,
   "cuts": {
    "Age 18-34": [
     64.9,
     10.6,
     18.6,
     3.0,
     3.0
    ],
    "Age 35-54": [
     65.0,
     8.5,
     19.3,
     4.3,
     3.0
    ],
    "Age 55+": [
     67.2,
     6.9,
     16.2,
     6.3,
     3.4
    ],
    "Income Under $35k": [
     72.6,
     7.1,
     10.1,
     6.5,
     3.8
    ],
    "Income $35k-$75k": [
     67.5,
     8.8,
     14.7,
     5.7,
     3.4
    ],
    "Income $75k-$125k": [
     60.9,
     9.4,
     22.7,
     4.0,
     3.0
    ],
    "Income $125k+": [
     62.4,
     8.7,
     23.1,
     2.9,
     2.9
    ],
    "Democrats and leaners": [
     65.3,
     10.1,
     17.6,
     4.0,
     3.0
    ],
    "Republicans and leaners": [
     67.6,
     7.0,
     17.8,
     4.7,
     3.0
    ]
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "S2",
   "question": "How much have you heard or read about restaurants or stores using artificial intelligence to set prices?",
   "options": [
    "A lot",
    "Some",
    "Not much",
    "Nothing at all"
   ],
   "shown_news_context": false,
   "distribution": [
    5.8,
    36.1,
    51.6,
    6.5
   ],
   "n": 3000,
   "cuts": {
    "Age 18-34": [
     9.0,
     40.1,
     45.7,
     5.2
    ],
    "Age 35-54": [
     5.8,
     37.1,
     50.4,
     6.7
    ],
    "Age 55+": [
     3.3,
     32.1,
     57.3,
     7.4
    ],
    "Income Under $35k": [
     3.1,
     31.7,
     57.2,
     7.9
    ],
    "Income $35k-$75k": [
     3.0,
     31.5,
     56.9,
     8.5
    ],
    "Income $75k-$125k": [
     4.7,
     37.4,
     52.4,
     5.6
    ],
    "Income $125k+": [
     12.1,
     43.3,
     40.6,
     4.0
    ],
    "Democrats and leaners": [
     6.9,
     38.6,
     49.0,
     5.4
    ],
    "Republicans and leaners": [
     4.9,
     33.6,
     54.0,
     7.5
    ]
   }
  },
  {
   "id": "S1",
   "question": "How often do you eat at or order from McDonald's?",
   "options": [
    "At least once a week",
    "A few times a month",
    "About once a month",
    "A few times a year",
    "Rarely or never"
   ],
   "shown_news_context": false,
   "distribution": [
    32.4,
    22.5,
    7.0,
    3.4,
    34.7
   ],
   "n": 3000,
   "cuts": {
    "Age 18-34": [
     42.0,
     26.9,
     7.4,
     3.0,
     20.8
    ],
    "Age 35-54": [
     33.4,
     24.7,
     7.6,
     3.4,
     30.8
    ],
    "Age 55+": [
     23.8,
     17.0,
     6.1,
     4.1,
     49.0
    ],
    "Income Under $35k": [
     44.5,
     22.8,
     7.4,
     3.0,
     22.4
    ],
    "Income $35k-$75k": [
     39.2,
     26.5,
     7.3,
     3.3,
     23.6
    ],
    "Income $75k-$125k": [
     31.4,
     25.1,
     8.4,
     3.2,
     31.9
    ],
    "Income $125k+": [
     16.0,
     15.6,
     5.1,
     4.2,
     59.1
    ],
    "Democrats and leaners": [
     31.8,
     21.7,
     6.9,
     3.5,
     36.2
    ],
    "Republicans and leaners": [
     34.0,
     23.3,
     7.0,
     3.1,
     32.6
    ]
   },
   "flagged": true,
   "flag_reason": "Used only to separate McDonald's customers from non-customers. The answers cluster at the extremes (3.4% chose 'A few times a year'), so they are not an estimate of how often Americans eat at McDonald's."
  },
  {
   "id": "N1",
   "question": "Is it acceptable or unacceptable for a restaurant chain to use AI to charge different prices at different locations, based on what customers in each area are willing to pay?",
   "options": [
    "Acceptable",
    "Unacceptable",
    "Not sure"
   ],
   "shown_news_context": true,
   "distribution": [
    59.2,
    33.7,
    7.1
   ],
   "n": 3000,
   "cuts": {
    "Age 18-34": [
     62.5,
     29.9,
     7.6
    ],
    "Age 35-54": [
     59.3,
     33.8,
     7.0
    ],
    "Age 55+": [
     56.5,
     36.7,
     6.8
    ],
    "Income Under $35k": [
     46.9,
     44.9,
     8.2
    ],
    "Income $35k-$75k": [
     52.5,
     39.5,
     8.0
    ],
    "Income $75k-$125k": [
     63.9,
     29.4,
     6.7
    ],
    "Income $125k+": [
     72.2,
     22.3,
     5.6
    ],
    "Democrats and leaners": [
     61.3,
     31.5,
     7.2
    ],
    "Republicans and leaners": [
     57.2,
     36.7,
     6.0
    ]
   },
   "flagged": true,
   "flag_reason": "Not reported as a finding. The acceptable/unacceptable wording ran far more accepting than every fairness measure in this study and than the Data for Progress benchmark (K5): of the respondents who called AI location pricing acceptable and saw the AI version of the experiment, 83% called that price gap unfair."
  },
  {
   "id": "N2",
   "question": "Is it acceptable or unacceptable for a restaurant to charge more during its busiest hours, the way ride-share apps do?",
   "options": [
    "Acceptable",
    "Unacceptable",
    "Not sure"
   ],
   "shown_news_context": true,
   "distribution": [
    59.2,
    35.9,
    4.9
   ],
   "n": 3000,
   "cuts": {
    "Age 18-34": [
     62.8,
     32.6,
     4.6
    ],
    "Age 35-54": [
     62.1,
     33.3,
     4.5
    ],
    "Age 55+": [
     53.7,
     40.7,
     5.5
    ],
    "Income Under $35k": [
     45.5,
     48.9,
     5.5
    ],
    "Income $35k-$75k": [
     53.7,
     39.8,
     6.5
    ],
    "Income $75k-$125k": [
     64.0,
     31.5,
     4.4
    ],
    "Income $125k+": [
     71.9,
     24.8,
     3.3
    ],
    "Democrats and leaners": [
     55.5,
     39.7,
     4.9
    ],
    "Republicans and leaners": [
     63.4,
     32.2,
     4.4
    ]
   },
   "flagged": true,
   "flag_reason": "Not reported as a finding. The acceptable/unacceptable wording ran far more accepting than every fairness measure in this study and than the Data for Progress benchmark (K5): of the respondents who called AI location pricing acceptable and saw the AI version of the experiment, 83% called that price gap unfair."
  },
  {
   "id": "N3",
   "question": "Is it acceptable or unacceptable for a company to use your personal data, such as your purchase history, to show you a different price than other customers see for the same item?",
   "options": [
    "Acceptable",
    "Unacceptable",
    "Not sure"
   ],
   "shown_news_context": true,
   "distribution": [
    51.8,
    41.4,
    6.8
   ],
   "n": 3000,
   "cuts": {
    "Age 18-34": [
     57.2,
     36.8,
     6.0
    ],
    "Age 35-54": [
     52.8,
     39.6,
     7.5
    ],
    "Age 55+": [
     46.6,
     46.7,
     6.8
    ],
    "Income Under $35k": [
     34.0,
     57.4,
     8.7
    ],
    "Income $35k-$75k": [
     45.5,
     46.2,
     8.3
    ],
    "Income $75k-$125k": [
     57.5,
     36.1,
     6.4
    ],
    "Income $125k+": [
     68.1,
     27.9,
     4.0
    ],
    "Democrats and leaners": [
     53.0,
     41.6,
     5.4
    ],
    "Republicans and leaners": [
     50.5,
     42.1,
     7.4
    ]
   },
   "flagged": true,
   "flag_reason": "Not reported as a finding. The acceptable/unacceptable wording ran far more accepting than every fairness measure in this study and than the Data for Progress benchmark (K5): of the respondents who called AI location pricing acceptable and saw the AI version of the experiment, 83% called that price gap unfair."
  },
  {
   "id": "N6",
   "question": "After reading this, are you more likely or less likely to eat at McDonald's in the next few months, or does it make no difference?",
   "options": [
    "More likely",
    "Less likely",
    "No difference",
    "I rarely or never eat at McDonald's"
   ],
   "shown_news_context": true,
   "distribution": [
    15.5,
    28.2,
    42.8,
    13.5
   ],
   "n": 3000,
   "cuts": {
    "Age 18-34": [
     22.9,
     29.3,
     40.3,
     7.5
    ],
    "Age 35-54": [
     16.1,
     28.1,
     44.7,
     11.1
    ],
    "Age 55+": [
     9.1,
     27.4,
     43.1,
     20.4
    ],
    "Income Under $35k": [
     13.7,
     35.0,
     34.4,
     16.9
    ],
    "Income $35k-$75k": [
     15.2,
     29.8,
     46.3,
     8.6
    ],
    "Income $75k-$125k": [
     16.9,
     25.7,
     49.9,
     7.5
    ],
    "Income $125k+": [
     16.0,
     23.0,
     39.7,
     21.3
    ],
    "Democrats and leaners": [
     14.9,
     29.2,
     41.5,
     14.4
    ],
    "Republicans and leaners": [
     16.5,
     28.0,
     42.6,
     12.9
    ]
   },
   "flagged": true,
   "flag_reason": "Not reported as a finding. 18.4% of customers said the news made them more likely to eat at McDonald's. Nothing in the news gives a reason for that, so the question is left off the page.",
   "distribution_customers": [
    18.4,
    29.8,
    43.6,
    8.2
   ]
  }
 ],
 "known_answer_checks": [
  {
   "id": "K1",
   "question": "A hardware store has been selling snow shovels for $15. The morning after a large snowstorm, the store raises the price to $20. Please rate this action as:",
   "options": [
    "Completely fair",
    "Acceptable",
    "Unfair",
    "Very unfair"
   ],
   "benchmark": {
    "source": "Kahneman, Knetsch and Thaler (1986), AER 76(4), Question 1, p. 729",
    "sample": "Telephone, Toronto and Vancouver residents, 1984-85, N=107",
    "acceptable": 18,
    "unfair": 82,
    "us_replication": "Buccafusco, Hemel and Talley (2023): 62% unfair when asked first, U.S. online panel, May 2020"
   },
   "panel_topline": [
    8.8,
    33.6,
    37.2,
    20.5
   ],
   "panel_topline_raw": [
    8.8,
    33.6,
    37.2,
    20.5
   ],
   "panel_acceptable": 42.4,
   "panel_unfair": 57.7,
   "human_acceptable": 18,
   "human_unfair": 82,
   "gap_unfair": -24.3
  },
  {
   "id": "K2",
   "question": "A grocery chain has stores in many communities. Most of them face competition from other groceries. In one community the chain has no competition. Although its costs and volume of sales are the same there as elsewhere, the chain sets prices that average 5 percent higher than in other communities. Please rate this action as:",
   "options": [
    "Completely fair",
    "Acceptable",
    "Unfair",
    "Very unfair"
   ],
   "benchmark": {
    "source": "Kahneman, Knetsch and Thaler (1986), Question 13, p. 735",
    "sample": "Telephone, Toronto and Vancouver, 1984-85, N=101",
    "acceptable": 24,
    "unfair": 76,
    "us_replication": "McDonnell, Stoltz and Taylor (2022): 56.0% unfair, U.S. MTurk, June 2015"
   },
   "panel_topline": [
    3.0,
    25.8,
    45.1,
    26.1
   ],
   "panel_topline_raw": [
    3.0,
    25.8,
    45.1,
    26.1
   ],
   "panel_acceptable": 28.8,
   "panel_unfair": 71.2,
   "human_acceptable": 24,
   "human_unfair": 76,
   "gap_unfair": -4.8
  },
  {
   "id": "K3",
   "question": "Suppose that, due to a transportation mixup, there is a local shortage of lettuce and the wholesale price has increased. A local grocer has bought the usual quantity of lettuce at a price that is 30 cents per head higher than normal. The grocer raises the price of lettuce to customers by 30 cents per head. Please rate this action as:",
   "options": [
    "Completely fair",
    "Acceptable",
    "Unfair",
    "Very unfair"
   ],
   "benchmark": {
    "source": "Kahneman, Knetsch and Thaler (1986), Question 7, pp. 732-733",
    "sample": "Telephone, Toronto and Vancouver, 1984-85, N=101",
    "acceptable": 79,
    "unfair": 21
   },
   "panel_topline": [
    18.9,
    44.9,
    24.8,
    11.4
   ],
   "panel_topline_raw": [
    18.9,
    44.9,
    24.8,
    11.4
   ],
   "panel_acceptable": 63.8,
   "panel_unfair": 36.2,
   "human_acceptable": 79,
   "human_unfair": 21,
   "gap_unfair": 15.2
  },
  {
   "id": "K4",
   "question": "A landlord rents out a small house. When the lease is due for renewal, the landlord learns that the tenant has taken a job very close to the house and is therefore unlikely to move. The landlord raises the rent $40 per month more than he was planning to do. Please rate this action as:",
   "options": [
    "Completely fair",
    "Acceptable",
    "Unfair",
    "Very unfair"
   ],
   "benchmark": {
    "source": "Kahneman, Knetsch and Thaler (1986), Question 14, p. 735",
    "sample": "Telephone, Toronto and Vancouver, 1984-85, N=157",
    "acceptable": 9,
    "unfair": 91
   },
   "panel_topline": [
    5.9,
    37.6,
    37.1,
    19.3
   ],
   "panel_topline_raw": [
    5.9,
    37.6,
    37.1,
    19.3
   ],
   "panel_acceptable": 43.5,
   "panel_unfair": 56.4,
   "human_acceptable": 9,
   "human_unfair": 91,
   "gap_unfair": -34.6
  },
  {
   "id": "K5",
   "question": "Some stores and online retailers use personal information about customers \u2013 such as their browsing history, location, income, or shopping history \u2013 to charge different prices for the same product, charging some customers more than others for the same product. How fair or unfair do you think this practice is?",
   "options": [
    "Very fair",
    "Somewhat fair",
    "Somewhat unfair",
    "Very unfair",
    "Don't know"
   ],
   "benchmark": {
    "source": "Data for Progress for Groundwork Collaborative, April 30-May 2, 2026",
    "sample": "1,172 likely voters, web panel; this item asked of a half sample, N=591",
    "distribution": [
     7,
     13,
     22,
     54,
     4
    ]
   },
   "panel_topline": [
    2.9,
    12.5,
    37.9,
    43.9,
    2.9
   ],
   "panel_topline_raw": [
    1.0,
    13.1,
    39.6,
    45.9,
    0.4
   ],
   "panel_fair": 15.4,
   "panel_unfair": 81.8,
   "panel_dk": 2.9,
   "human_fair": 20,
   "human_unfair": 76,
   "human_dk": 4,
   "gap_unfair": 5.8
  },
  {
   "id": "K6",
   "question": "More types of retailers are experimenting with dynamic pricing, which means that the cost of an item can change in real-time depending on market conditions. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Dynamic pricing is price gouging.",
   "options": [
    "Strongly agree",
    "Somewhat agree",
    "Neither agree nor disagree",
    "Somewhat disagree",
    "Strongly disagree"
   ],
   "benchmark": {
    "source": "Ipsos Consumer Tracker, January 13-14, 2026",
    "sample": "1,290 U.S. adults, online",
    "distribution": [
     25,
     34,
     33,
     7,
     2
    ]
   },
   "panel_topline": [
    29.9,
    40.3,
    4.1,
    21.0,
    4.7
   ],
   "panel_topline_raw": [
    29.9,
    40.3,
    4.1,
    21.0,
    4.7
   ],
   "panel_agree": 70.2,
   "panel_neither": 4.1,
   "panel_disagree": 25.7,
   "human_agree": 59,
   "human_neither": 33,
   "human_disagree": 9,
   "gap_agree": 11.2
  },
  {
   "id": "K7",
   "question": "'Surge pricing' refers to prices changing in real-time based on demand. More kinds of services are experimenting with implementing surge pricing. How willing, if at all, would you be to pay more during 'surge' periods for fast food?",
   "options": [
    "Very willing",
    "Somewhat willing",
    "Not very willing",
    "Not at all willing"
   ],
   "benchmark": {
    "source": "Ipsos Consumer Tracker, March 19-20, 2024",
    "sample": "1,120 U.S. adults, online",
    "distribution": [
     11,
     24,
     27,
     38
    ]
   },
   "panel_topline": [
    7.3,
    29.1,
    49.6,
    14.0
   ],
   "panel_topline_raw": [
    7.3,
    29.1,
    49.6,
    14.0
   ],
   "panel_willing": 36.4,
   "panel_not": 63.6,
   "human_willing": 35,
   "human_not": 65,
   "gap_willing": 1.4
  }
 ],
 "consistency_checks": {
  "N1_vs_experiment": {
   "unfair_in_AI_version_among_N1_acceptable": {
    "pct": 83.4,
    "se": 1.05,
    "n": 787,
    "neff": 442
   },
   "unfair_in_AI_version_among_N1_unacceptable": {
    "pct": 89.7,
    "se": 1.8,
    "n": 206,
    "neff": 117
   }
  },
  "S1_vs_E3": {
   "S1_rarely_or_never_n": 1012,
   "of_those_choosing_I_dont_eat_at_McDonalds_in_E3_pct": {
    "A": 0.4,
    "B": 0.3,
    "C": 0.2
   },
   "resolution": "E3 is reported among McDonald's customers only."
  },
  "S1_vs_N6": {
   "S1_rarely_or_never_pct": 34.7,
   "N6_rarely_or_never_pct": 13.5
  }
 },
 "sources": {
  "news": "Waylon Cunningham, 'Inside McDonald's push to have AI price your Big Mac,' Reuters, September 29, 2026, https://www.reuters.com/business/inside-mcdonalds-push-have-ai-price-your-big-mac-2026-09-29/",
  "company_response": "McDonald's called the pricing portal 'a tool, not a mandate' and the reporting 'speculative and uninformed'; Jon Banner, its global chief impact officer, posted that 'AI does not set Big Mac prices.'",
  "K1-K4": "Kahneman, Knetsch and Thaler, 'Fairness as a Constraint on Profit Seeking,' American Economic Review 76(4), 1986",
  "K5": "Data for Progress for Groundwork Collaborative, April 30-May 2, 2026",
  "K6": "Ipsos Consumer Tracker, January 13-14, 2026",
  "K7": "Ipsos Consumer Tracker, March 19-20, 2024"
 },
 "note": "Synthetic panel, not a probability sample. No humans were interviewed. A Pulse is a quick read on the news and is never graded."
}