Social Preferences and Social Curiosity

37 Pages Posted: 11 Jul 2018 Last revised: 5 Nov 2018

See all articles by Weiwei Tasch

Weiwei Tasch

University of Pennsylvania - School of Arts & Sciences

Daniel Houser

Interdisciplinary Center for Economic Science

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: July 11, 2018

Abstract

Social preferences have been implicated in many important economic behaviors. Building on Fehr and Schmidt (1999), we here investigate connections between social preferences and the demand for information about others’ economic decisions and outcomes, which we denote “social curiosity.” Using data from laboratory experiments with sequential public goods games, we estimate guilt and envy at the individual level, and examine their impact on social curiosity. We find that those with greater sensitivity to guilt display greater social curiosity. Further, we find that social curiosity is beneficial in that knowing others’ economic decisions and outcomes promotes cooperation and economic efficiency.

Keywords: Laboratory Experiment, Inequity Aversion, Social Curiosity, Information, Sequential Public Goods Game

JEL Classification: C91, D83, D91, H41

Suggested Citation

Tasch, Weiwei and Houser, Daniel, Social Preferences and Social Curiosity (July 11, 2018). GMU Working Paper in Economics No. 18-19, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3211794 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3211794

Weiwei Tasch (Contact Author)

University of Pennsylvania - School of Arts & Sciences ( email )

Philadelphia, PA 19104
United States

Daniel Houser

Interdisciplinary Center for Economic Science ( email )

5th Floor, Vernon Smith Hall
George Mason University
Arlington, VA 22201
United States
7039934856 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://mason.gmu.edu/~dhouser/

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