Cooperation in a fragmented society: Experimental evidence on Syrian refugees and natives in Lebanon

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
Year: 2021
Volume: 187
Issue: C
Pages: 176-191

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

Lebanon is the country with the highest density of refugees in the world, raising the question of whether the host and refugee populations can cooperate harmoniously. We conduct a lab-in-the-field experiment in Lebanon studying intra- and inter-group behavior of Syrian refugees and Lebanese nationals in a repeated public goods game without and with punishment. We randomly assign participants to Lebanese-only, Syrian-only, or mixed sessions. We find that randomly formed pairs in homogeneous sessions, on average, contribute and punish significantly more than those in mixed sessions, suggesting in-group cooperation is stronger. These patterns are driven by Lebanese participants. Further analysis indicates that behavior in mixed groups is more strongly conditioned on expectations about the partner's cooperation than in homogeneous groups.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:jeborg:v:187:y:2021:i:c:p:176-191
Journal Field
Theory
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-25