Effects of Parental Background on Other-Regarding Preferences in Children

33 Pages Posted: 23 Oct 2011

See all articles by Michal Bauer

Michal Bauer

Charles University in Prague - Institute of Economic Studies; CERGE-EI

Julie Chytilová

Charles University in Prague - Department of Economics

Barbara Pertold-Gebicka

Aarhus University - School of Business and Social Sciences; Charles University in Prague - Department of Economics

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Abstract

Other-regarding preferences are central for the ability to solve collective action problems and thus for society's welfare. We study how the formation of other-regarding preferences during childhood is related to parental background. Using binary-choice dictator games to classify subjects into other-regarding types, we find that children of less educated parents are less altruistic and more spiteful. This link is robust to controlling for a range of child, family, and peer characteristics, and is attenuated for smarter children. The results suggest that less educated parents are either less efficient to instill social norms or their children less able to acquire them.

Keywords: other-regarding preferences, altruism, spite, experiments with children, family background, education

JEL Classification: C91, D03, D64, I24

Suggested Citation

Bauer, Michal and Chytilová, Julie and Pertold-Gebicka, Barbara, Effects of Parental Background on Other-Regarding Preferences in Children. IZA Discussion Paper No. 6026, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1948022 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1948022

Michal Bauer (Contact Author)

Charles University in Prague - Institute of Economic Studies ( email )

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Julie Chytilová

Charles University in Prague - Department of Economics ( email )

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Prague 1, 163 00
Czech Republic

HOME PAGE: http://ies.fsv.cuni.cz/index.php?module=kernel&action=user&id_user=130&lng=cs_CZ

Barbara Pertold-Gebicka

Aarhus University - School of Business and Social Sciences ( email )

Bartholins Alle 10
Building 1326
Aarhus C, DK 8000
Denmark

Charles University in Prague - Department of Economics ( email )

Opletalova 21
Prague 1, 110 00
Czech Republic

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