|
on Cognitive and Behavioural Economics |
|
Issue of 2024‒01‒15
four papers chosen by |
| By: | Gladys Barragan-Jason; Astrid Hopfensitz (EM - emlyon business school) |
| Abstract: | "Human prosociality is a valuable but also deeply puzzling trait. While several studies suggest that prosociality is an impulsive behavior, others argue that self-control is necessary to develop prosocial behaviors. Yet, prosociality and self-control in children have rarely been studied jointly. Here, we measured self-control (i.e., delay-of-gratification) and prosociality (i.e., giving in a dictator game) in 250 4- to 6-year-old French schoolchildren. Contrary to previous studies, we found a negative relationship between waiting in the delay-of-gratification task and giving in the dictator game. The effect was especially pronounced when the partner in the dictator game was unknown compared with giving in a dictator game where the partner was a friend. Our results suggest that self-control is not always necessary to act prosocially. Future studies investigating whether and how such pattern develops across the lifespan and across cultures are warranted." |
| Keywords: | self control, sharing, children, dictator game |
| Date: | 2023–10–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04325644&r=cbe |
| By: | Julia Baumann (Wirtschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung); Anastasia Danilov (HU Berlin); Olga Stavrova (Universität Lübeck) |
| Abstract: | This study explores the role of trait self-control in individuals’ changes in performance and well-being when working from home (WFH). In a three-wave longitudinal study with UK workers in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we find that low self-control workers experienced a significant positive adjustment to WFH over time: The number of reported work distractions decreased, and self-assessed performance increased over the period of four months. In contrast, high self-control individuals did not show a similar upward trajectory. Despite the positive adjustment of low self-control individuals over time, on average, self-control was still positively associated with performance and negatively associated with work distractions. However, trait self-control was not consistently associated with changes in well-being. These findings provide a more nuanced view on trait self-control, suggesting that low self-control individuals can improve initial performance over time when working from home. |
| Keywords: | self-control; working from home; productivity; |
| Date: | 2023–12–18 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rco:dpaper:486&r=cbe |
| By: | Zixuan Tang; Chen Qu; Yang Hu; Julien Benistant; Frederic Moisan (EM - emlyon business school); Edmund Derrington; Jean-Claude Dreher |
| Abstract: | "Costly punishment of social norm transgressors by third-parties has been considered as a decisive stage in the evolution of human cooperation. An important facet of social relationship knowledge concerns the strength of the social ties between individuals, as measured by social distance. Yet, it is unclear how the enforcement of social norms is influenced by the social distance between a third-party and a norm violator at the behavioral and the brain system levels. Here, we investigated how social distance between punishers and norm-violators influences third-party punishment. Participants as third-party punished norm violators more severely as social distance between them increased. Using model-based fMRI, we disentangled key computations contributing to third-party punishment: inequity aversion, social distance between participant and norm violator and integration of the cost to punish with these signals. Inequity aversion increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and bilateral insula, and processing social distance engaged a bilateral fronto-parietal cortex brain network. These two brain signals and the cost to punish were integrated in a subjective value signal of sanctions that modulated activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Together, our results reveal the neurocomputational underpinnings of third-party punishment and how social distance modulates enforcement of social norms in humans." |
| Keywords: | social ties, social norms, neurocomputation |
| Date: | 2023–06–28 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04325737&r=cbe |
| By: | Johannes Haushofer; Daniel Salicath |
| Abstract: | In recent years, the psychological causes and consequences of poverty have received renewed attention from scientists and policymakers. In this review, we summarize new developments in this literature. First, we discuss advances in our understanding of the relationship between income and psychological well-being. There is a robust positive relationship between the two, both within and across countries, and in correlational and causal analyses. Second, we summarize recent work on the impact of “scarcity” and stress on economic preferences and decision-making. Our view of this literature is that the evidence is relatively weak. Third, we summarize evidence on the impact of psychological interventions on economic outcomes. Light-touch psychological interventions, such as videos that aim to raise aspirations, have shown some promise in encouraging investment and improving economic well-being. Similarly, psychotherapy and pharmacological mental health treatments have positive effects on economic outcomes. Relative to the effects of cash transfers, these impacts are small in absolute terms and large in per-dollar terms. We conclude by discussing whether a psychological poverty trap is plausible. |
| JEL: | D91 O12 |
| Date: | 2023–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:31977&r=cbe |