Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/81040 
Year of Publication: 
2012
Series/Report no.: 
WIDER Working Paper No. 2012/59
Publisher: 
The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), Helsinki
Abstract: 
Behavioural economics highlights the role of social preferences in economic decisions. Further, populations are heterogeneous; suggesting that group composition may impact the ability to sustain voluntary public goods contributions. This parallels research in public economics where fractionalization negatively impacts provision. We conduct agent-based simulations of contributions in a public goods game, varying group composition and the weight individuals place on their beliefs versus their underlying social preference type. We then examine the effect of each of these factors on contributions. We find fractionalization in social preference types negatively impacts provision, even controlling for the share of types in a group.
Subjects: 
social preferences
agent-based simulation
group composition
beliefs
JEL: 
C63
D03
H41
I3
ISBN: 
978-92-9230-522-2
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
213.78 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.