Altruism, bequests and charitable giving
Humans frequently engage in prosocial behavior by helping family members, friends and strangers or by contributing to charitable causes. But when are pro-social behaviors motivated by self-interest and when are they motivated by altruism? The aim of the proposed program is to test several hypotheses related to altruism using population wide data on bequest giving and charitable giving in life. We expect that the results from the studies will significantly improve our understanding about to what extent genetics, social norms, reputation, economic incentives, education and health shocks explain prosocial behavior such as generosity towards charities.
Final report
Humans frequently engage in prosocial behavior by helping family members, friends and strangers or by contributing to charitable causes. But when are pro-social behaviors motivated by self-interest and when are they motivated by altruism? The aim of the proposed program is to test several hypotheses related to altruism using population wide data on bequest giving and charitable giving in life. We expect that the results from the studies will significantly improve our understanding about to what extent genetics, social norms, reputation, economic incentives, education and health shocks explain prosocial behavior such as generosity towards charities.
FINAL REPORT
Background and summary of the project
1. Purpose
The main objective of this project has been to increase our understanding of why people act prosocially by helping family members, friends and strangers or by contributing to charitable causes. The research is based on empirical studies of rich Swedish register data.
2. Development of the project
The project has resulted in five studies: four for publication in scientific journals and one policy report. The first study looked at how deceased people chose to distribute their estate and what this might say about who the deceased cares about and wants to support with inheritance (published in PLOS ONE). The second study examines how cognitive abilities are linked to prosocial behavior in terms of charitable giving, electoral participation and environmentally frendly car choice (revised and resubmitted to the Economic Journal). The third study, building on the second study, examines how cognitive abilities are linked to vaccination against Covid-19. Vaccination reduces the risk of infecting others (published in the Journal of Health Economics). The fourth study examines whether the reorganization of Swedish primary education in the 1950s and 1960s (longer schooling and more focus on becoming a good citizen) made students more generous to charities, more likely to donate blood, vote in general elections, or more tolerant later in life (almost ready for submission to a journal). Finally, a report has also been written for the Expert Group on Public Economics (ESO) on the consequences of inheritance tax. The report highlights how inheritance and inheritance tax affect giving and bequeathing to charitable organizations. We also show that it is difficult to achieve desired policy objectives through inheritance tax.
3. Key results
The project has led to three main findings regarding: 1) who bequeaths to charity, 2) how cognitive abilities (intelligence) affect prosocial behavior, and 3) whether primary school education can affect prosocial behavior later in life.
The first study showed that among those who have family (married or children) it is very uncommon for any part of the estate to be bequeathed to charity. A very large proportion of charitable bequests come from individuals who have no heirs (according to the order of succession) in life.
The second study shows that cognitive abilities (intelligence) are strongly associated with prosocial behaviors such as charitable giving, electoral participation and possession of an environmentally friendly car. The associations are likely to reflect causal relationships as differences in cognitive abilities between twin brothers explain differences in prosocial behavior. The third study shows that cognitive abilities are also strongly linked to vaccination behaviors. Individuals with higher cognitive ability vaccinated faster and to a greater extent against COVID-19. Again, differences in cognitive ability between twin brothers explain differences in vaccination behaviors. The study also finds that the differences in vaccination behavior almost completely disappear when pre-booked vaccination appointments are used instead of individuals booking their own vaccination appointments.
The fourth study finds, somewhat surprisingly, that a longer primary school with a greater focus on civic education and a curriculum aimed at fostering socially engaged, democratic, generous and tolerant citizens did not succeed in this. At least not to a greater extent than the old school system.
4. Contribution to the research frontier
The studies above have contributed to the research frontier by focusing on better addressing the question of how to reliably prove causality. In studies two and three, this is done using twin comparisons and in study four by evaluating a national reform implemented at different times in different municipalities. Together with very rich register data covering large parts of the Swedish population, the studies have led to: significantly more precise estimates of effects, more credible evidence of causality, richer analyses of more prosocial behaviors, analyses of behaviors recorded by third parties and not based on self-reported prosocial behavior, and analyses of larger and more representative samples of relevant parts of the population.
5. New research questions
Study number three, on vaccination behavior, was born out of the work on study two and the fact that we experienced a pandemic during the project period. The project has also allowed us to start a new study on how cognitive abilities are linked to blood donation. Overall, the project has led to an important new hypothesis that differences in cognitive abilities can be an important explanatory factor for why we see so much inequality in both economic outcomes and health.
6. Dissemination of results
Our main communication channels are publication in international journals and subsequent dissemination in popular science journals, media interviews, policy seminars and teaching. Studies one and two have been presented at several seminars and led to a deeper collaboration with Giva Sverige, Stockholms Stadsmission and the Swedish Cancer Society. Study three received much attention in both traditional media (e.g. TV4, SR, TT, Svenska Dagbladet, Sydsvenskan, UNT) and social media (Facebook and Twitter/X) in connection with its publication. The results were also disseminated in popular science and professional journals such as Ekonomisk Debatt, Läkartidningen and the association Vetenskap och folkbildnings magazine Folkvett. This study is now also used in the teaching of the introductory course in economics at Uppsala University. The ESO report was launched at a seminar at the Ministry of Finance, which was also broadcast on SVT Forum.
Web pages
Mikael Elinder: http://mikaelelinder.com
Per Engström: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=5AtNUYAAAAAJ&hl=sv
Oscar Erixson: https://sites.google.com/site/oscarerixson/
FINAL REPORT
Background and summary of the project
1. Purpose
The main objective of this project has been to increase our understanding of why people act prosocially by helping family members, friends and strangers or by contributing to charitable causes. The research is based on empirical studies of rich Swedish register data.
2. Development of the project
The project has resulted in five studies: four for publication in scientific journals and one policy report. The first study looked at how deceased people chose to distribute their estate and what this might say about who the deceased cares about and wants to support with inheritance (published in PLOS ONE). The second study examines how cognitive abilities are linked to prosocial behavior in terms of charitable giving, electoral participation and environmentally frendly car choice (revised and resubmitted to the Economic Journal). The third study, building on the second study, examines how cognitive abilities are linked to vaccination against Covid-19. Vaccination reduces the risk of infecting others (published in the Journal of Health Economics). The fourth study examines whether the reorganization of Swedish primary education in the 1950s and 1960s (longer schooling and more focus on becoming a good citizen) made students more generous to charities, more likely to donate blood, vote in general elections, or more tolerant later in life (almost ready for submission to a journal). Finally, a report has also been written for the Expert Group on Public Economics (ESO) on the consequences of inheritance tax. The report highlights how inheritance and inheritance tax affect giving and bequeathing to charitable organizations. We also show that it is difficult to achieve desired policy objectives through inheritance tax.
3. Key results
The project has led to three main findings regarding: 1) who bequeaths to charity, 2) how cognitive abilities (intelligence) affect prosocial behavior, and 3) whether primary school education can affect prosocial behavior later in life.
The first study showed that among those who have family (married or children) it is very uncommon for any part of the estate to be bequeathed to charity. A very large proportion of charitable bequests come from individuals who have no heirs (according to the order of succession) in life.
The second study shows that cognitive abilities (intelligence) are strongly associated with prosocial behaviors such as charitable giving, electoral participation and possession of an environmentally friendly car. The associations are likely to reflect causal relationships as differences in cognitive abilities between twin brothers explain differences in prosocial behavior. The third study shows that cognitive abilities are also strongly linked to vaccination behaviors. Individuals with higher cognitive ability vaccinated faster and to a greater extent against COVID-19. Again, differences in cognitive ability between twin brothers explain differences in vaccination behaviors. The study also finds that the differences in vaccination behavior almost completely disappear when pre-booked vaccination appointments are used instead of individuals booking their own vaccination appointments.
The fourth study finds, somewhat surprisingly, that a longer primary school with a greater focus on civic education and a curriculum aimed at fostering socially engaged, democratic, generous and tolerant citizens did not succeed in this. At least not to a greater extent than the old school system.
4. Contribution to the research frontier
The studies above have contributed to the research frontier by focusing on better addressing the question of how to reliably prove causality. In studies two and three, this is done using twin comparisons and in study four by evaluating a national reform implemented at different times in different municipalities. Together with very rich register data covering large parts of the Swedish population, the studies have led to: significantly more precise estimates of effects, more credible evidence of causality, richer analyses of more prosocial behaviors, analyses of behaviors recorded by third parties and not based on self-reported prosocial behavior, and analyses of larger and more representative samples of relevant parts of the population.
5. New research questions
Study number three, on vaccination behavior, was born out of the work on study two and the fact that we experienced a pandemic during the project period. The project has also allowed us to start a new study on how cognitive abilities are linked to blood donation. Overall, the project has led to an important new hypothesis that differences in cognitive abilities can be an important explanatory factor for why we see so much inequality in both economic outcomes and health.
6. Dissemination of results
Our main communication channels are publication in international journals and subsequent dissemination in popular science journals, media interviews, policy seminars and teaching. Studies one and two have been presented at several seminars and led to a deeper collaboration with Giva Sverige, Stockholms Stadsmission and the Swedish Cancer Society. Study three received much attention in both traditional media (e.g. TV4, SR, TT, Svenska Dagbladet, Sydsvenskan, UNT) and social media (Facebook and Twitter/X) in connection with its publication. The results were also disseminated in popular science and professional journals such as Ekonomisk Debatt, Läkartidningen and the association Vetenskap och folkbildnings magazine Folkvett. This study is now also used in the teaching of the introductory course in economics at Uppsala University. The ESO report was launched at a seminar at the Ministry of Finance, which was also broadcast on SVT Forum.
Web pages
Mikael Elinder: http://mikaelelinder.com
Per Engström: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=5AtNUYAAAAAJ&hl=sv
Oscar Erixson: https://sites.google.com/site/oscarerixson/