Genetic Variation in Preferences for Giving and Risk Taking

S-Tier
Journal: Quarterly Journal of Economics
Year: 2009
Volume: 124
Issue: 2
Pages: 809-842

Authors (5)

David Cesarini (not in RePEc) Christopher T. Dawes (not in RePEc) Magnus Johannesson (Stockholm School of Economics) Paul Lichtenstein (not in RePEc) Björn Wallace (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

1.609 = (α=2.01 / 5 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

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

Abstract

In this paper, we use the classical twin design to provide estimates of genetic and environmental influences on experimentally elicited preferences for risk and giving. Using standard methods from behavior genetics, we find strong prima facie evidence that these preferences are broadly heritable and our estimates suggest that genetic differences explain approximately twenty percent of individual variation. The results thus shed light on an important source of individual variation in preferences, a source that has hitherto been largely neglected in the economics literature.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:qjecon:v:124:y:2009:i:2:p:809-842.
Journal Field
General
Author Count
5
Added to Database
2026-01-25