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Microfoundations of Social Capital

Thöni, Christian ; Tyran, Jean-Robert and Wengström, Erik LU (2012) In Journal of Public Economics 96(7-8). p.635-643
Abstract
Abstract in Undetermined
Research on social capital routinely relies on survey measures of trust which can be collected in large and heterogeneous samples at low cost. We validate such survey measures in an incentivized public good experiment and show that they are importantly related to cooperation behavior in a large and heterogeneous sample. We provide evidence on the microfoundation of this relation by use of an experimental design that enables us to disentangle preferences for cooperation from beliefs about others' cooperation. Our analysis suggests that the standard trust question used in the World Values Survey is a proxy for cooperation preferences rather than beliefs about others' cooperation. In contrast, the “fairness... (More)
Abstract in Undetermined
Research on social capital routinely relies on survey measures of trust which can be collected in large and heterogeneous samples at low cost. We validate such survey measures in an incentivized public good experiment and show that they are importantly related to cooperation behavior in a large and heterogeneous sample. We provide evidence on the microfoundation of this relation by use of an experimental design that enables us to disentangle preferences for cooperation from beliefs about others' cooperation. Our analysis suggests that the standard trust question used in the World Values Survey is a proxy for cooperation preferences rather than beliefs about others' cooperation. In contrast, the “fairness question”, a recently proposed alternative to the standard trust question, seems to operate through beliefs rather than preferences. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Public Economics
volume
96
issue
7-8
pages
635 - 643
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000305849000006
  • scopus:84861915341
ISSN
0047-2727
DOI
10.1016/j.jpubeco.2012.04.003
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bd1d4836-236c-4a1a-91ef-8acc6ebad4d3 (old id 2440896)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:55:40
date last changed
2022-04-06 07:50:37
@article{bd1d4836-236c-4a1a-91ef-8acc6ebad4d3,
  abstract     = {{Abstract in Undetermined<br/>Research on social capital routinely relies on survey measures of trust which can be collected in large and heterogeneous samples at low cost. We validate such survey measures in an incentivized public good experiment and show that they are importantly related to cooperation behavior in a large and heterogeneous sample. We provide evidence on the microfoundation of this relation by use of an experimental design that enables us to disentangle preferences for cooperation from beliefs about others' cooperation. Our analysis suggests that the standard trust question used in the World Values Survey is a proxy for cooperation preferences rather than beliefs about others' cooperation. In contrast, the “fairness question”, a recently proposed alternative to the standard trust question, seems to operate through beliefs rather than preferences.}},
  author       = {{Thöni, Christian and Tyran, Jean-Robert and Wengström, Erik}},
  issn         = {{0047-2727}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7-8}},
  pages        = {{635--643}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Public Economics}},
  title        = {{Microfoundations of Social Capital}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2012.04.003}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jpubeco.2012.04.003}},
  volume       = {{96}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}