The differences in effects of social image by gender using risky dictator game experiments

Tetsuya Kawamura, Kazuhito Ogawa and Yusuke Osaki

Research in Economics, 2025, vol. 79, issue 3

Abstract: Experimental evidence has revealed that females are more prosocial than males. However, we do not know much about what lies in differences in prosocial behavior in gender. The research question of this study is how effects of social image differ by gender and these effects can explain gender differences in prosocial behavior. Social image is a desire to be perceived as fair and is impure motivation behind prosocial behavior. Experimental studies developed various devices to extract social image and observed its existence in dictator game experiments. However, these methods are not suitable for our purpose because we need to measure the effects of social image, not just existence. This study conducted the risky dictator game in which dictators do not care about their social image because recipients cannot infer dictator's allocation. By adding social image, we prepare the two types of risky dictator games with and without social image. We measure social image based on differences in amount and probability of positive allocation in risky dictator game experiments with and without social image. This study observed differences in effects of social image by gender. We draw conclusion that social image is a cause for gender differences in prosocial behavior.

Keywords: Dictator game; Gender differences; Prosocial behavior; Risk; Social image (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C72 C92 D91 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:reecon:v:79:y:2025:i:3:s109094432500033x

DOI: 10.1016/j.rie.2025.101056

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