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Moral judgments, gender, and antisocial preferences: an experimental study

Author

Listed:
  • Juergen Bracht

    (University of Aberdeen Business School)

  • Adam Zylbersztejn

    (Univ Lyon, Université Lumière Lyon 2)

Abstract

We study questionnaire responses to situations in which sacrificing one life may save many other lives. We demonstrate gender differences in moral judgments: males are more supportive of the sacrifice than females. We investigate a source of the endorsement of the sacrifice: antisocial preferences. First, we measure individual proneness to spiteful behavior, using an experimental game with monetary stakes. We demonstrate that spitefulness can be sizable—a fifth of our participants behave spitefully—but it is not associated with gender. Second, we find that gender is consistently associated with responses even when we account for individual differences in the propensity to spitefulness.

Suggested Citation

  • Juergen Bracht & Adam Zylbersztejn, 2018. "Moral judgments, gender, and antisocial preferences: an experimental study," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 85(3), pages 389-406, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:theord:v:85:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s11238-018-9668-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s11238-018-9668-6
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