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Justice in an uncertain world: Evidence on donations to cancer research

Author

Listed:
  • Tigran Melkonyan

    (University of Alabama)

  • Zvi Safra

    (University of Warwick)

  • Sinong Ma

    (Queen’s University Belfast)

Abstract

The paper uses information on actual and hypothetical charitable contributions to cancer research in the United Kingdom to elicit information on justice principles endorsed by donors. They face a choice between fund-raising contributions for several hereditary and lifestyle-related cancers. Donors’ choices of how much to donate to different cancers reveal how they view luck vis-a-vis risky individual choices. The estimation results reveal that donations are smaller for cancers with higher prevention rates, which is the probability that the potential cancer victim can avoid the cancer in question by some choice. We also find that provision of information on lifestyle-related causes of cancer adversely affects contributions. In contrast, information on hereditary causes has a positive effect on donations. Furthermore, a large share of donors indicated in their feedback that they chose donations to a hereditary over a lifestyle-related cancer to “punish” poor individual choices. These findings suggest that many donors lean toward choice egalitarianism, which conditions donations on the potential beneficiaries’ choices.

Suggested Citation

  • Tigran Melkonyan & Zvi Safra & Sinong Ma, 2021. "Justice in an uncertain world: Evidence on donations to cancer research," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 62(3), pages 281-311, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jrisku:v:62:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s11166-021-09348-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11166-021-09348-7
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Choice-egalitarianism; Donations; Choice vs. luck; Cancer; Justice principles; Fairness;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement

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