Effects of parental background on other-regarding preferences in children

0367945 - NHÚ 2012 CZ eng V - Research Report
Bauer, Michal - Chytilová, J. - Pertold-Gebicka, Barbara
Effects of parental background on other-regarding preferences in children.
Prague: CERGE-EI, 2011. 33 s. CERGE-EI Working Paper Series, 450. ISSN 1211-3298
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT LC542
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70850503
Keywords : other-regarding preferences * altruism * spite
Subject RIV: AH - Economics
http://www.cerge-ei.cz/pdf/wp/Wp450.pdf

Other-regarding preferences are central for the ability to solve collective action problems and thus for society’s welfare. We study how the formation of other-regarding preferences during childhood is related to parental background. Using binary-choice dictator games to classify subjects into other-regarding types, we find that children of less educated parents are less altruistic and more spiteful. This link is robust to controlling for a range of child, family, and peer characteristics, and is attenuated for smarter children. The results suggest that less educated parents are either less efficient to instill social norms or their children less able to acquire them.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0202443