Cultural Differences in Ultimatum Game Experiments: Evidence from a Meta-Analysis

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a meta-analysis of 32 papers with results from ultimatum game experiments. We find that on average the proposer offers 40% of the pie to the responder. This share is independent of the size of the pie and of the use of the strategy method. On average 16% of the offers is rejected. This rejection rate is lower for larger pie sizes and tends to decrease with the share offered. Responders are less willing to accept low offers when the strategy method is employed. As the studies come from different countries, meta-analysis provides an alternative way to investigate whether bargaining behavior in ultimatum games differs across countries. We find differences in proposer and in responder behavior across (groups of) countries. These differences tend to follow geographical lines rather than the cultural classifications provided by Hofstede (1991), and by Huntington (1996) and Inglehart (2000) respectively.

Keywords: ultimatum game, meta-analysis, cultural differences

JEL Classification: C78, C91, Z10