Identity, Cooperation, and Punishment

Kendra McLeish and Robert Oxoby

No 2572, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Among economists, there is increased recognition of the role individuals’ identities play in decision-making. In this paper, we conduct laboratory experiments in which we explore the motivations for and the effects of group identity. We find that negative out-group opinion (acting as an inter-group identity threat) can motivate in-group/out-group effects in a simple bargaining context. Further, our results suggest that disparagement of group norms by members of the in-group (acting as an intra-group identity threat) increases the use of costly punishment within the in-group.

Keywords: identity; fairness; reciprocity; experiments (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C9 D1 M5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 33 pages
Date: 2007-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-evo, nep-exp, nep-gth and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (38)

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