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Children's cooperation and discrimination in a bilingual province

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  • Lergetporer, Philipp
  • Angerer, Silvia
  • Glätzle-Rützler, Daniela
  • Sutter, Matthias

Abstract

While discrimination and its economic implications have been studied in many different societies and based on a multitude of attributes like ethnicity, religion, gender, or language, the development of such behavior in children is still poorly understood. Here we present experimental evidence from a bilingual city in Northern Italy on whether the language spoken by a partner in a prisoner s dilemma game affects behavior. We examine how discrimination based on language develops in practically all six- to eleven-year old primary school children in the city. We find that cooperation increases with age and that both in-group favoritism and out-group discrimination emerge as children get older.

Suggested Citation

  • Lergetporer, Philipp & Angerer, Silvia & Glätzle-Rützler, Daniela & Sutter, Matthias, 2015. "Children's cooperation and discrimination in a bilingual province," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 112843, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:vfsc15:112843
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers

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