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Fear or Greed? Duty or Solidarity? Motivations and Stages of Moral Reasoning: Experimental Evidences from Public-Goods Provision Dilemmas

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  • Meyer, Leandro Fredrico Ferraz
  • Braga, Marcelo Jose

Abstract

As economists increasingly recognize the limits of the canonical self-interest assumption, the lack of a theory of human valuation that clearly specifies what determines an individual’s utility judgments renders the prediction of behavior in social dilemmas virtually impossible. In this study, we examined the explanatory power of a structuralist-constructivist theory of adult development and this theory’s analytical significance to the understanding of behavioral diversity in situations where individual and collective interests collide. Experimental results suggest that the theoretical constructs built into the selected theory provide a reliable basis for predicting participants’ behavior when presented with two different collective-action dilemmas under diverse institutional conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • Meyer, Leandro Fredrico Ferraz & Braga, Marcelo Jose, 2009. "Fear or Greed? Duty or Solidarity? Motivations and Stages of Moral Reasoning: Experimental Evidences from Public-Goods Provision Dilemmas," Working Papers in Applied Economics 53249, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Departamento de Economia Rural.
  • Handle: RePEc:ags:ufvdwp:53249
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.53249
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    References listed on IDEAS

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