Homo Moralis: Personal Characteristics, Institutions, and Moral Decision-Making

Thomas Deckers (), Armin Falk, Fabian Kosse and Nora Szech
Additional contact information
Thomas Deckers: University of Bonn

No 9768, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper studies how individual characteristics, institutions, and their interaction influence moral decisions. We validate a moral paradigm focusing on the willingness to accept harming third parties. Consequences of moral decisions are real. We explore how moral behavior varies with individual characteristics and how these characteristics interact with market institutions compared to situations of individual decision-making. Intelligence, female gender, and the existence of siblings positively influence moral decisions, in individual and in market environments. Yet in markets, most personalities tend to follow overall much lower moral standards. Only fluid intelligence specifically counteracts moral-eroding effects of markets.

Keywords: homo moralis; moral personality; real moral task; markets and personality; trade and morals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D02 D03 J10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 30 pages
Date: 2016-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe and nep-exp
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Homo Moralis: Personal Characteristics, Institutions, and Moral Decision-Making (2016)
Working Paper: Homo moralis: Personal characteristics, institutions, and moral decision-making (2016)
Working Paper: Homo moralis: Personal characteristics, institutions, and moral decision-making (2016)
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