Cooperativeness and Competitiveness in Children

17 Pages Posted: 29 Apr 2014

See all articles by Juan-Camilo Cárdenas

Juan-Camilo Cárdenas

Universidad de Los Andes

Anna Dreber

Stockholm School of Economics - Department of Economics

Emma von Essen

Uppsala University; Stockholm University

Eva Ranehill

University of Gothenburg - Department of Economics

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: April 28, 2014

Abstract

Cooperation and competition are both essential elements of economic life. Here we explore how cooperation in a prisoner’s dilemma is correlated with competitiveness in a sample of 9-12 year old children in Colombia and Sweden. Using two different measures and four different tasks for competitiveness, we find no consistent relationship between cooperativeness and competitiveness. However, we find evidence of a negative relationship between willingness to compete in a math task and cooperativeness in the overall sample. Competitiveness in math has previously been related to educational choices. The relationship between cooperation and competitiveness in math might therefore be the most labor market relevant.

Keywords: cooperation, competitiveness, experiment, children

JEL Classification: C91, D03

Suggested Citation

Cárdenas, Juan-Camilo and Dreber, Anna and von Essen, Emma and Ranehill, Eva, Cooperativeness and Competitiveness in Children (April 28, 2014). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2430286 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2430286

Juan-Camilo Cárdenas

Universidad de Los Andes ( email )

Carrera 1a No. 18A-10
Santafe de Bogota, AA4976
Colombia
339-4949 ext. 2473 (Phone)

Anna Dreber

Stockholm School of Economics - Department of Economics ( email )

P.O. Box 6501
Sveavagen 65
S-113 83 Stockholm
Sweden

Emma Von Essen

Uppsala University ( email )

Uppsala, SE-751 26
Sweden

Stockholm University ( email )

Kyrkgatan 43B
SE-106 91 Stockholm
Sweden

Eva Ranehill (Contact Author)

University of Gothenburg - Department of Economics ( email )

Vasagatan 1
Gothenburg, 41124
Sweden

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