Alpizar, Francisco () (Environment for Development Center, Tropical Agricultural and Higher Education Center (CATIE)) Carlsson, Fredrik () (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University) Johansson-Stenman, Olof () (Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University)
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We investigate the role of anonymity, reciprocity, and conformity for voluntary contributions, based on a natural field experiment conducted at a national park in Costa Rica. Contributions made in public in front of the solicitor are 25% higher than contributions made in private. Giving subjects a small gift before requesting a contribution increases the likelihood of a positive contribution. At the same time, the conditional contribution decreases. The total effect of giving a gift is positive but small, and taking the cost of the gift into account, it is far from profitable. When the subjects are told that the typical contribution of others is $2 (a small contribution), the probability of a contribution increases and the conditional contribution decreases, compared with providing no reference information. Providing a high reference level ($10) increases the conditional contributions. Overall, the total effects have the expected signs, although the magnitudes are smaller than what one might have expected based on existing evidence from laboratory experiments.
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Paper provided by Göteborg University, Department of Economics in its series Working Papers in Economics with number
245.
Length: 24 pages Date of creation: 21 Feb 2007 Date of revision: Handle: RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0245
Contact details of provider: Postal: Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University Box 640, SE 405 30 GÖTEBORG, Sweden Phone: 031-773 10 00 Web page: http://www.handels.gu.se/econ/ More information through EDIRC
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