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Time Preferences Across Language Groups: Evidence on Intertemporal Choices from the Swiss Language Border

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  • Holger Herz
  • Martin Huber
  • Tjaša Maillard-Bjedov
  • Svitlana Tyahlo

Abstract

Differences in patience across language groups have recently received increased attention in the literature. We provide evidence on this issue by measuring time preferences of French and German speakers from a bilingual municipality in Switzerland where institutions are shared and socio-economic conditions are very similar across the two language groups. We find that French speakers are significantly more impatient than German speakers, and differences are particularly pronounced when payments in the present are involved. Estimates of preference parameters of a quasi-hyperbolic discounting model suggest significant differences in both present bias (β) and the long-run discount factor (δ) across language groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Holger Herz & Martin Huber & Tjaša Maillard-Bjedov & Svitlana Tyahlo, 2021. "Time Preferences Across Language Groups: Evidence on Intertemporal Choices from the Swiss Language Border," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(639), pages 2920-2954.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:econjl:v:131:y:2021:i:639:p:2920-2954.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/ej/ueab025
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    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Yanbing & Schaub, Sergei & Wuepper, David & Finger, Robert, 2023. "Culture and agricultural biodiversity conservation," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    2. Katharina Erhardt & Simon Haenni, 2022. "The Cultural Roots of Firm Entry, Exit and Growth," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 132(648), pages 2767-2814.
    3. Clist, Paul & Hong, Ying-yi, 2023. "Do international students learn foreign preferences? The interplay of language, identity and assimilation," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    4. Ali Goli & Amandeep Singh, 2023. "Exploring the Influence of Language on Time-Reward Perceptions in Large Language Models: A Study Using GPT-3.5," Papers 2305.02531, arXiv.org, revised Jun 2023.
    5. Strazzeri, Maurizio & Oggenfuss, Chantal & Wolter, Stefan C., 2022. "Much Ado about Nothing? School Curriculum Reforms and Students' Educational Trajectories," IZA Discussion Papers 15505, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Essl, Andrea & Suter, Manuel & von Bieberstein, Frauke, 2023. "The effect of future-time referencing on pro-environmental behavior," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 107(C).

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