TY - JOUR
T1 - Do other-regarding preferences change with age? Evidence from a gift exchange experiment
AU - Owens, Mark F.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research has been supported by a Faculty Research and Creative Projects Research Grant from Middle Tennessee State University. I am grateful to Helen Campbell, Jonathan Harmon, Craig Rice, Will Shelton and Gail Vick for allowing me to run experiments in their classes. I thank John Kagel, James Cox, and participants at the Southern Economic Association Conference and in the Economics and Finance seminar at Middle Tennessee State University for helpful suggestions. I also thank Rebecca Fahy, Adam Hogan, J. Laron Kirby, Travis Minor, and Rachel Wilson for their help with this project.
PY - 2011/12
Y1 - 2011/12
N2 - A series of laboratory experiments investigate potential differences in other-regarding behavior by age of participant. Specifically, a gift exchange experiment is conducted with eighth graders, high school seniors, undergraduates, and working adults, all with similar observable demographic characteristics. All groups exhibit significant levels of gift exchange. Eighth graders exhibit significantly less gift exchange than other groups whereas the responses of other groups do not appear to differ. The findings indicate that other-regarding behavior is present, but still developing in adolescents and undergraduate subjects in gift exchange experiments exhibit similar behavior to adults with similar observable characteristics.
AB - A series of laboratory experiments investigate potential differences in other-regarding behavior by age of participant. Specifically, a gift exchange experiment is conducted with eighth graders, high school seniors, undergraduates, and working adults, all with similar observable demographic characteristics. All groups exhibit significant levels of gift exchange. Eighth graders exhibit significantly less gift exchange than other groups whereas the responses of other groups do not appear to differ. The findings indicate that other-regarding behavior is present, but still developing in adolescents and undergraduate subjects in gift exchange experiments exhibit similar behavior to adults with similar observable characteristics.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.socec.2011.08.022
DO - 10.1016/j.socec.2011.08.022
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:80053459079
SN - 1053-5357
VL - 40
SP - 868
EP - 878
JO - Journal of Socio-Economics
JF - Journal of Socio-Economics
IS - 6
ER -