A note on empathy in games

Jan Grohn, Steffen Huck and Justin Mattias Valasek

Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Economics of Change from WZB Berlin Social Science Center

Abstract: In this note we shall discuss a concept that - despite its prominence in both Hume (1739) and Smith (1759), its obvious relevance for social behavior, and its not so infrequent use in colloquial language - has never gained a foothold in economic theory: the concept of empathy. Specifically, we illustrate how some insights from the psychological literature on empathy can be incorporated into a standard utility framework, and demonstrate the potential interaction of beliefs and utility through the channel of empathy.

Keywords: Empathy; Belief Formation; Preferences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D03 D83 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-evo, nep-hpe, nep-neu, nep-soc, nep-sog and nep-upt
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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