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Charitable Giving Among Females and Males: An Empirical Test of the Competitive Altruism Hypothesis

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  • Robert Böhm

    (Center for Empirical Research in Economics and Behavioral Sciences (CEREB), University of Erfurt, Germany)

  • Tobias Regner

    (Max Planck Institute of Economics, Jena, Germany)

Abstract

We conduct a real-effort task experiment where subjects' performance translates into a donation to a charity. In a within-subjects design we vary the visibility of the donation (no/private/public feedback). Confirming previous studies, we find that subjects' performance increases, that is, they donate more to charity, when their relative performance is made public. In line with the competitive altruism hypothesis, a biology-based explanation for status-seeking behavior, especially male subjects increase performance in the public setting.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert Böhm & Tobias Regner, 2012. "Charitable Giving Among Females and Males: An Empirical Test of the Competitive Altruism Hypothesis," Jena Economics Research Papers 2012-038, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    • Handle: RePEc:jrp:jrpwrp:2012-038
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kellner, Christian & Reinstein, David & Riener, Gerhard, 2015. "Stochastic income and conditional generosity," DICE Discussion Papers 197, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    2. repec:bri:cmpowp:13/336 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. repec:esx:essedp:762 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. repec:bri:cmpowp:14/336 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Christian Keller & David Reinstein & Gerhard Riener & Michael Sanders, 2015. "Giving and Probability," The Centre for Market and Public Organisation 15/336, The Centre for Market and Public Organisation, University of Bristol, UK.
    6. Emili Vizuete-Luciano & Oktay Güzel & José M. Merigó, 2023. "Bibliometric research of the Pay-What-You-Want Topic," Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(5), pages 413-426, October.
    7. Sri Handayani & Suharnomo Suharnomo & Edy Rahardja, 2022. "Transactional Leadership, Well-Being Support, OCB-Altruism, and Employee Performance: Testing Their Relationship," Review of Applied Socio-Economic Research, Pro Global Science Association, vol. 24(2), pages 70-88, December.
    8. Hofmann, Elisa & Fiagbenu, Michael E. & Özgümüs, Asri & Tahamtan, Amir M. & Regner, Tobias, 2021. "Who is watching me? Disentangling audience and interpersonal closeness effects in a Pay-What-You-Want context," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 90(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    social preferences; other-regarding behavior; charitable giving; social-image concerns; competitive altruism; experiments; social status;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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