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Surviving the Titanic Disaster: Economic, Natural and Social Determinants

Author

Listed:
  • Bruno S. Frey
  • David A. Savage
  • Benno Torgler

Abstract

The sinking of the Titanic in April 1912 took the lives of 68 percent of the people aboard. Who survived? It was women and children who had a higher probability of being saved, not men. Likewise, people traveling in first class had a better chance of survival than those in second and third class. British passengers were more likely to perish than members of other nations. This extreme event represents a rare case of a well-documented life and death situation where social norms were enforced. This paper shows that economic analysis can account for human behavior in such situations.

Suggested Citation

  • Bruno S. Frey & David A. Savage & Benno Torgler, 2009. "Surviving the Titanic Disaster: Economic, Natural and Social Determinants," CESifo Working Paper Series 2551, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_2551
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    3. Konrad, Kai A. & Kovenock, Dan, 2012. "The lifeboat problem," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(3), pages 552-559.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    decision under pressure; tragic events and disasters; survival; quasi-natural experiment; altruism;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • D71 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Social Choice; Clubs; Committees; Associations
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty

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