Why Are Economics Students More Selfish than the Rest?

Yoram Bauman () and Elaina Rose ()
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Yoram Bauman: University of Washington
Elaina Rose: University of Washington

No 4625, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: A substantial body of research suggests that economists are less generous than other professionals and that economics students are less generous than other students. We address this question using administrative data on donations to social programs by students at the University of Washington. Our data set allows us to track student donations and economics training over time in order to distinguish selection effects from indoctrination effects. We find that economics majors are less likely to donate than other students and that there is an indoctrination effect for non-majors but not for majors. Women majors and non-majors are less likely to contribute than comparable men.

Keywords: altruism; public goods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 D64 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 26 pages
Date: 2009-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-evo, nep-hpe, nep-lab, nep-pbe and nep-sog
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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