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The Interaction between Prosocial (Giving) Behaviours and Social Cohesion

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  • Lorna Zischka

    (Department of Economics, University of Reading)

Abstract

A controlled experiment establishes that differences in relational proximity can evoke or suppress a willingness to give to an unrelated cause. Four treatment groups underwent the same set of exercises but two in a closer relational environment and two in a more distant relational environment. Half of the subjects in each relational environment further received an unannounced doubling of pay. On exit, all participants had the option to give to charity. The experiment showed that the charitable giving was driven by relational factors, not by pay. We can learn that pro-social (pro-giving) inclinations interact with the wider social environment, and that these complex relational parameters may be evaluated by easy-to-measure giving patterns.

Suggested Citation

  • Lorna Zischka, 2016. "The Interaction between Prosocial (Giving) Behaviours and Social Cohesion," Economics Discussion Papers em-dp2016-07, Department of Economics, University of Reading.
    • Handle: RePEc:rdg:emxxdp:em-dp2016-07
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    File URL: http://www.reading.ac.uk/web/FILES/economics/emdp2016124.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Lorna Zischka & Mark Casson & Marina Della Giusta, 2016. "'Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.' A BHPS study of the interaction between giving and welfare," Economics Discussion Papers em-dp2016-10, Department of Economics, University of Reading.

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    Keywords

    giving; experiment; pro-social; charity; endowment; social capital;
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