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Prosocial Behavior and Subjective Insecurity in Violent Contexts: Field Experiments

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  • María Alejandra Vélez
  • Carlos Andres Trujillo
  • Lina Moros
  • Clemente Forero

Abstract

Subjective insecurity is a key determinant of different forms of prosocial behavior. In Study 1, we used field experiments with farmers in Colombian villages exposed to different levels of violence to investigate how individual perceptions of insecurity affect cooperation, trust, reciprocity and altruism. To do so, we developed a cognitive-affective measure of subjective insecurity. We found that subjective insecurity has a negative effect on cooperation but influences trust and altruism positively. In Study 2, carried out three years after Study 1, we repeated the initial design with additional measures of victimization. Our goal was to relate subjective insecurity with actual victimization. The findings of Study 2 support the initial results, and are robust and consistent for cooperative behavior and trust when including victimization as a mediator. Different indicators of victimization are positively correlated with subjective insecurity and an aggregate index of victimization has a negative effect on cooperation but exerts a positive influence on trust.

Suggested Citation

  • María Alejandra Vélez & Carlos Andres Trujillo & Lina Moros & Clemente Forero, 2016. "Prosocial Behavior and Subjective Insecurity in Violent Contexts: Field Experiments," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(7), pages 1-23, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0158878
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158878
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    1. Tellez,Juan Fernando & Balcells,Laia, 2022. "Social Cohesion, Economic Security, and Forced Displacement in the Long-Run : Evidence from Rural Colombia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10019, The World Bank.
    2. Francesco Bogliacino & Camilo Gómez & Gianluca Grimalda, 2019. "Crime-related Exposure to Violence and Social Preferences: Experimental Evidence from Bogotá," Documentos de Trabajo, Escuela de Economía 17345, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, FCE, CID.
    3. Francesco Bogliacino & Gianluca Grimalda & Laura Jiménez & Daniel Reyes Galvis & Cristiano Codagnone, 2022. "Trust and trustworthiness after a land restitution program: lab-in-the-field evidence from Colombia," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 33(2), pages 135-161, June.
    4. Krzysztof Krakowski, 2022. "Adjustments to gang exposure in early adolescence," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 59(3), pages 337-352, May.
    5. Myers, Emily & Sacks, Audrey & Tellez, Juan F. & Wibbels, Erik, 2024. "Forced displacement, social cohesion, and the state: Evidence from eight new studies," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    6. Diego Aycinena & Mariana Blanco, 2023. "Negative Income Shocks, COVID, and Trust," Documentos de Trabajo 20802, Universidad del Rosario.
    7. Arzu Kibris & Lena Gerling, 2022. "Armed conflict exposure and trust: Evidence from a natural experiment in Turkey," HiCN Working Papers 363, Households in Conflict Network.
    8. Bogliacino, Francesco & Gómez, Camilo & Grimalda, Gianluca, 2023. "Crime-related exposure to violence and prosocial behavior: Experimental evidence from Colombia," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 104(C).

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