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The Behavioural Mechanisms of Voluntary Cooperation in WEIRD and Non-WEIRD Societies

Author

Listed:
  • Till O. Weber

    (University of Newcastle)

  • Benjamin Beranek

    (Missouri State University)

  • Simon Gaechter

    (University of Nottingham)

  • Fatima Lambarraa-Lehnhardt

    (IZA, CESifo, ZALF, University of Goettingen)

  • Jonathan F. Schulz

    (George Mason University)

Abstract

We provide a framework to uncover behavioural mechanisms driving potential cross-societal differences in voluntary cooperation. We deploy our framework in one-shot public goods experiments in the US and the UK, and in Morocco and Turkey. We find that cooperation is higher in the US and UK than in Morocco and Turkey. Our framework shows that this result is driven mostly by differences in beliefs rather than in cooperative preferences, or peer punishment, which are both similar in the four subject pools. Our results highlight the central role of beliefs in explaining differences in voluntary cooperation within and across societies.

Suggested Citation

  • Till O. Weber & Benjamin Beranek & Simon Gaechter & Fatima Lambarraa-Lehnhardt & Jonathan F. Schulz, 2021. "The Behavioural Mechanisms of Voluntary Cooperation in WEIRD and Non-WEIRD Societies," Discussion Papers 2021-03, The Centre for Decision Research and Experimental Economics, School of Economics, University of Nottingham.
    • Handle: RePEc:not:notcdx:2021-03
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Fischbacher, Urs & Gachter, Simon & Fehr, Ernst, 2001. "Are people conditionally cooperative? Evidence from a public goods experiment," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 71(3), pages 397-404, June.
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    5. Greif, Avner, 1994. "Cultural Beliefs and the Organization of Society: A Historical and Theoretical Reflection on Collectivist and Individualist Societies," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 102(5), pages 912-950, October.
    6. Till O. Weber & Ori Weisel & Simon Gächter, 2018. "Dispositional free riders do not free ride on punishment," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-9, December.
    7. Armin Falk & Anke Becker & Thomas Dohmen & Benjamin Enke & David B. Huffman & Uwe Sunde, 2017. "Global Evidence on Economic Preferences," NBER Working Papers 23943, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sanjit Dhami & Mengxing Wei, 2023. "Norms, Emotions, and Culture in Human Cooperation and Punishment: Theory and Evidence," CESifo Working Paper Series 10220, CESifo.

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    Keywords

    voluntary cooperation; experiments; public goods; cross-societal differences; behavioural framework;
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