The Development of Egalitarianism, Altruism, Spite and Parochialism in Childhood and Adolescence

Ernst Fehr, Daniela Glätzle-Rützler and Matthias Sutter

No 5530, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We study how the distribution of other-regarding preferences develops with age. Based on a set of allocation choices, we can classify each of 717 subjects, aged 8 to 17 years, as either egalitarian, altruistic, or spiteful. Varying the allocation recipient as either an in-group or an out-group member, we can also study how parochialism develops with age. We find a strong decrease in spitefulness with increasing age. Egalitarianism becomes less frequent, and altruism much more prominent, with age. Women are more frequently classified as egalitarian than men, and less often as altruistic. Parochialism first becomes significant in the teenage years.

Keywords: other-regarding preferences; egalitarianism; altruism; spite; parochialism; experiments with children and adolescents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C91 D03 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 39 pages
Date: 2011-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-evo, nep-exp, nep-ltv and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

Published - published in: European Economic Review, 2013, 64, 369-383

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Related works:
Journal Article: The development of egalitarianism, altruism, spite and parochialism in childhood and adolescence (2013)
Working Paper: The Development of Egalitarianism, Altruism, Spite and Parochialism in Childhood and Adolescence (2011)
Working Paper: The development of egalitarianism, altruism, spite and parochialism in childhood and adolescence (2011)
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