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Altruism Begets Altruism

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  • Stephanie A. Heger
  • Robert Slonim

Abstract

Guided by Bem’s (1972) self-perception theory, we design an experiment to ask whether morally-motivated behaviour, e.g., charitable giving, is history-dependent. Using a popular policy nudge, the default option, we exogenously vary altruism “now” and show that giving “now” causes a 66%- 200% increase in the probability of giving “later”; that is, altruism begets altruism. We further show that, consistent with self-perception theory, the choice to behave altruistically “now”, rather than the nudge itself, is the crucial element in the causal relationship. These findings are consistent with a model of positive path-dependence, which we interpret as moral consistency.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephanie A. Heger & Robert Slonim, 2022. "Altruism Begets Altruism," CESifo Working Paper Series 9522, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_9522
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

    altruism; nudge; moral consistency;
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