Identity and Self-Other Differentiation in Work and Giving Behaviors: Experimental Evidence

60 Pages Posted: 2 Sep 2006 Last revised: 10 Apr 2013

See all articles by Avner Ben-Ner

Avner Ben-Ner

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - Carlson School of Management

Brian P. McCall

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - Carlson School of Management

Massoud Stephane

University of Minnesota

Hua Wang

University of Minnesota

Date Written: August 1, 2006

Abstract

We show that the distinction between Self and Other, "us" and "them," or in-group and out-group, affects significantly economic and social behavior. In a series of experiments with approximately 200 Midwestern students as our subjects, we found that they favor those who are similar to them on any of a wide range of categories of identity over those who are not like them. Whereas family and kinship are the most powerful source of identity in our sample, all 13 potential sources of identity in our experiments affect behavior. We explored individuals' willingness to give money to imaginary people, using a dictator game setup with hypothetical money. Our experiments with hypothetical money generate essentially identical data to our experiments with actual money. We also investigated individuals' willingness to share an office with, commute with, and work on a critical project critical to their advancement with individuals who are similar to themselves (Self) along a particular identity dimension than with individuals who are dissimilar (Other). In addition to family, our data point to other important sources of identity such as political views, religion, sports-team loyalty, and music preferences, followed by television-viewing habits, dress type preferences, birth order, body type, socio-economic status and gender. The importance of the source of identity varies with the type of behavior under consideration.

Keywords: Identify, Diversity, Experimental Economics, Conflict

Suggested Citation

Ben-Ner, Avner and McCall, Brian P. and Stephane, Massoud and Wang, Hua, Identity and Self-Other Differentiation in Work and Giving Behaviors: Experimental Evidence (August 1, 2006). FEEM Working Paper No. 103.06, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=927433 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.927433

Avner Ben-Ner (Contact Author)

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - Carlson School of Management ( email )

19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455
United States

Brian P. McCall

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities - Carlson School of Management ( email )

19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455
United States

Massoud Stephane

University of Minnesota ( email )

109 Camden Hall
Morris, MN 56267

Hua Wang

University of Minnesota ( email )

109 Camden Hall
Morris, MN 56267

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