Theory and Experimentation in Studies of Audit Judgments and Decisions: Avoiding Common Research Traps

In this article, we identify and discuss four research traps into which behavioral audit scholars sometimes fall: (1) The Rush to the Explanatory Research Stage Trap; (2) The Mundane Realism Trap; (3) The Measured Variable Trap; and (4) The Audit Practitioner as Participant Trap. Throughout our discussion of these traps, we emphasize the role of theory and highlight the comparative advantages of experiments. Our discussion is designed to help aspiring researchers carefully design and execute auditing research programs.