Mental Disorder, Altruism, and Empathy: Experimental Evidence from Middle School Students in Post-Earthquake Sichuan, China

Albert Park, Yasuyuki Sawada, Menghan Shen, Sangui Wang, Heng Wang and Ze Wang
Additional contact information
Albert Park: Economic Research and Development Impact Department (ERDI), Asian Development Bank
Yasuyuki Sawada: Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo
Menghan Shen: School of Government, Sun Yatsen University
Sangui Wang: China Institute of Poverty Alleviation, Renmin University of China
Heng Wang: School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China
Ze Wang: The University of Tokyo

No CIRJE-F-1239, CIRJE F-Series from CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo

Abstract: The paper examines the impact of having a mentally disordered peer on middle school students’ social preferences after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China. Using random classroom assignments, height-based seating arrangements, and lab-inthe-field experiments such as dictator and public goods games, the study has found that having a disabled peer significantly enhances altruistic behavior, driven largely by empathy among students with shared traumatic experiences. These findings highlight how peer effects in post-disaster contexts foster social cohesion and prosocial behaviors, reflecting a self-recovery mechanism inherent in human nature that may mitigate secondary trauma and improve welfare.

Pages: 96 pages
Date: 2025-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cna and nep-exp
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