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Experimentally Induced Empathy does not Affect Monetarily Incentivized Dictator Game Behavior

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  • Lönnqvist, Jan-Erik
  • Walkowitz, Gari

Abstract

In a monetarily incentivized Dictator Game we expected Dictators’ empathy towards the Recipients to cause more pro-social allocations. Empathy was experimentally induced via a commonly used perspective taking task. Dictators (N = 476) were instructed to split an endowment of 10€ between themselves and an unknown Recipient. They could split the money 8/2 (8€ for Dictator, 2€ for Recipient) or 5/5 (5€ each). Although the empathy manipulation successfully increased Dictators’ feelings of empathy towards the Recipients, Dictators’ decisions on how to split the money were not affected. We had ample statistical power (above .99) to detect a typical social psychology effect (corresponding to r around .20). Other possible determinants of generosity in the Dictator Game should be investigated.

Suggested Citation

  • Lönnqvist, Jan-Erik & Walkowitz, Gari, 2018. "Experimentally Induced Empathy does not Affect Monetarily Incentivized Dictator Game Behavior," MPRA Paper 85162, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:85162
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    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/85162/2/MPRA_paper_85162.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Empathy; Dictator Game; Generosity; Altruism; Experimental Economics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles

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