A note on empathy in games

Jan Grohn, Steffen Huck and Justin Mattias Valasek

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2014, vol. 108, issue C, 383-388

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
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:108:y:2014:i:c:p:383-388

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2014.01.008

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