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COVID-19 pandemic and prosociality: an experiment with healthcare professionals

Author

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  • Costa-Font, Joan
  • Gatti, Nicolò
  • Turati, Gilberto
  • Wiesen, Daniel

Abstract

We study the extent to which exposure to COVID-19 relates to healthcare professionals’ prosociality. Drawing on empirical evidence from an incentivized experiment and a companion survey of healthcare professionals (HCPs) at a large Italian hospital (N = 194), we find that different forms of exposure to COVID-19 predict their altruistic motivation in heterogeneous ways. HCPs who worked in COVID-19 wards or had a close relative or friend severely affected by the virus are more than 5 percentage points more likely to prioritize patient welfare over personal gain, with the association for professional exposure being mostly driven by female HCPs, especially nurses. Conversely, personally contracting COVID-19 is associated with a 6 percentage point decline in prosociality. Our results highlight that different experiences of need shape prosocial behavior in hospital settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Costa-Font, Joan & Gatti, Nicolò & Turati, Gilberto & Wiesen, Daniel, 2026. "COVID-19 pandemic and prosociality: an experiment with healthcare professionals," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 140229, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:140229
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    File URL: https://researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/140229/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Abel, Martin & Brown, Willa, 2022. "Prosocial behavior in the time of COVID-19: The effect of private and public role models," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior

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