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- Title
Paying to Be Nice: Consistency and Costly Prosocial Behavior.
- Authors
Gneezy, Ayelet; Imas, Alex; Brown, Amber; Nelson, Leif D.; Norton, Michael I.
- Abstract
Building on previous research in economics and psychology, we propose that the costliness of initial prosocial behavior positively influences whether that behavior leads to consistent future behaviors. We suggest that costly prosocial behaviors serve as a signal of prosocial identity and that people subsequently behave in line with that self-perception. In contrast, costless prosocial acts do not signal much about one's prosocial identity,so subsequent behavior is less likely to be consistent and may even show the reductions in prosocial behavior associated with licensing. The results of a laboratory experiment and a large field experiment converge to support our account.
- Subjects
INTERPERSONAL relations; ECONOMICS &; psychology; SELF-perception; CHARITABLE giving -- Social aspects; FIELD research; BEHAVIOR; SELF-evaluation; MANAGEMENT science; SENSORY perception; STATISTICS; PSYCHOLOGY
- Publication
Management Science, 2012, Vol 58, Issue 1, p179
- ISSN
0025-1909
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1287/mnsc.1110.1437