Social Preferences in the Lab: A Comparison of Students and a Representative Population

B-Tier
Journal: Scandanavian Journal of Economics
Year: 2015
Volume: 117
Issue: 4
Pages: 1306-1326

Score contribution per author:

0.503 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We report from a lab experiment conducted with a sample of participants that is nationally representative for the adult population in Norway and two student samples (economics students and non-economics students). The participants make choices both in a dictator game (a non-strategic environment) and in a generalized trust game (a strategic environment). We find that the representative sample differs fundamentally from the student samples, both in the relative importance assigned to different moral motives (efficiency, equity, and reciprocity) and in the level of selfish behavior. It is also interesting to note that the gender effects observed in the student samples do not correspond to the gender effects observed in representative sample. Finally, whereas economics students behave less pro-socially than non-economics students, the two student groups are similar in the relative importance they assign to different moral motives.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:bla:scandj:v:117:y:2015:i:4:p:1306-1326
Journal Field
General
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-25