Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Keeping others in our mind or in our heart? Distribution games under cognitive load

Hauge, KarenEvelyn ; Brekke, KejllArne ; Johansson, Lars-Olof ; Johansson-Stenman, Olof and Svedsäter, Henrik (2014) In Working Papers in Economics
Abstract
Abstract in Undetermined
It has recently been argued that giving is spontaneous while greed is calculated (Rand et al. 2012). If greed is calculated we would expect that cognitive load, which is assumed to reduce the influence of cognitive processes, should affect greed. In this paper we study both charitable giving and the behavior of dictators under high and low cognitive load, to test if greed is affected by the load. In the dictator games we use both a give frame, where the dictators are given an amount that they may share with a partner, and a take frame, where dictators may take from an amount initially allocated to the partner. The results show consistently that the behavioral effect in terms of allocated money of the induced... (More)
Abstract in Undetermined
It has recently been argued that giving is spontaneous while greed is calculated (Rand et al. 2012). If greed is calculated we would expect that cognitive load, which is assumed to reduce the influence of cognitive processes, should affect greed. In this paper we study both charitable giving and the behavior of dictators under high and low cognitive load, to test if greed is affected by the load. In the dictator games we use both a give frame, where the dictators are given an amount that they may share with a partner, and a take frame, where dictators may take from an amount initially allocated to the partner. The results show consistently that the behavioral effect in terms of allocated money of the induced load is small if at all existent. At the same time, follow-up questions indicate that the subjects’ decisions are more driven by their feelings and less driven by their thoughts under cognitive load. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Book/Report
publication status
published
subject
keywords
cognitive load, dictator games, social preferences, pro-social behavior, altruism
in
Working Papers in Economics
pages
32 pages
publisher
University of Gothenburg
ISSN
1403-2465
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
96b0f78b-4b99-448d-9e33-d6d2836eb111 (old id 4815373)
alternative location
http://hdl.handle.net/2077/36279
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:59:35
date last changed
2021-03-22 13:11:12
@techreport{96b0f78b-4b99-448d-9e33-d6d2836eb111,
  abstract     = {{Abstract in Undetermined<br/>It has recently been argued that giving is spontaneous while greed is calculated (Rand et al. 2012). If greed is calculated we would expect that cognitive load, which is assumed to reduce the influence of cognitive processes, should affect greed. In this paper we study both charitable giving and the behavior of dictators under high and low cognitive load, to test if greed is affected by the load. In the dictator games we use both a give frame, where the dictators are given an amount that they may share with a partner, and a take frame, where dictators may take from an amount initially allocated to the partner. The results show consistently that the behavioral effect in terms of allocated money of the induced load is small if at all existent. At the same time, follow-up questions indicate that the subjects’ decisions are more driven by their feelings and less driven by their thoughts under cognitive load.}},
  author       = {{Hauge, KarenEvelyn and Brekke, KejllArne and Johansson, Lars-Olof and Johansson-Stenman, Olof and Svedsäter, Henrik}},
  institution  = {{University of Gothenburg}},
  issn         = {{1403-2465}},
  keywords     = {{cognitive load; dictator games; social preferences; pro-social behavior; altruism}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  series       = {{Working Papers in Economics}},
  title        = {{Keeping others in our mind or in our heart? Distribution games under cognitive load}},
  url          = {{http://hdl.handle.net/2077/36279}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}