Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/174948 
Year of Publication: 
2017
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 6825
Publisher: 
Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo), Munich
Abstract: 
Cooperativeness among genetically unrelated humans remains a major puzzle in the social sciences. We explore the causal impact of physical distance on willingness to help. In a field setting, participants decide about supporting local refugees at the dispense of money to themselves. We vary physical distance only, and keep other factors such as cultural distance fixed. The data shows that an increase in local physical distance decreases willingness to donate. A laboratory experiment confirms this finding. We further explore the causal roles of exposure (in the field) and of larger distances (in the lab) with a total of 475 participants.
Subjects: 
cooperativeness
physical distance
strangers
morally relevant behavior
local neighborhoods
JEL: 
C91
C93
D64
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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