Evidence from an Experiment on Charity to Welfare Recipients: Reciprocity, Altruism and the Empathic Responsiveness Hypothesis

Posted: 28 Jun 2007

See all articles by Christina M. Fong

Christina M. Fong

Carnegie Mellon University - Department of Social and Decision Sciences

Abstract

This paper investigates the determinants of generosity in an experiment on charity to real-life welfare recipients. It tests the effects of various measures of unconditional altruism and conditional or reciprocal altruism. The results show strong support for conditional or reciprocal altruism. However, people who are self-reported unconditional altruists make offers that are highly elastic with respect to the apparent worthiness of the recipient. One interpretation of this is that self-reported unconditional altruists have combined desires to help others and to reciprocate; unconditional altruism and reciprocal altruism may not be independent motives. I refer to this combination as empathic responsiveness.

Keywords: Fairness, Social Preferences, Empathy, Equity, Attitudinal Measures, Dictator Games, Public Goods Experiments

JEL Classification: D63, D64, C91, C93, H41

Suggested Citation

Fong, Christina M., Evidence from an Experiment on Charity to Welfare Recipients: Reciprocity, Altruism and the Empathic Responsiveness Hypothesis. Economic Journal, Vol. 117, No. 522, July 2007, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=996869

Christina M. Fong (Contact Author)

Carnegie Mellon University - Department of Social and Decision Sciences ( email )

Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
United States
412-268-8168 (Phone)

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Abstract Views
612
PlumX Metrics