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Social Preferences in a Chinese Cultural Context

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Tom Lane

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This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by Now Publishers, 2021.

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Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of social distance and national bias on social preferences in China. In a field experiment featuring a diverse subject pool, we implement an incentivised dictator game, in which we vary the way decision-makers are primed to think about their social distance from the potential recipients of their generosity, as well as the nationality of these recipients. We find that decision-makers become substantially less pro-social when primed social distance increases. However, national bias is not found – there is no evidence subjects are willing to give more money to Chinese strangers than to unknown foreigners. The effects of social distance emerge more strongly at closer levels of distance for those who are rural, low-educated and poor, while they appear more strongly at greater levels of distance for their urban, high-educated and rich counterparts.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Gunessee S, Lane T, Xie S

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Review of Behavioral Economics

Year: 2021

Volume: 8

Issue: 2

Pages: 125-145

Print publication date: 19/07/2021

Acceptance date: 01/07/2021

Date deposited: 05/09/2023

ISSN (print): 2326-6198

ISSN (electronic): 2326-6201

Publisher: Now Publishers

URL: https://doi.org/10.1561/105.00000135

DOI: 10.1561/105.00000135

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