Intertemporal Altruism
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Most prosocial decisions involve intertemporal tradeoffs. Yet, the timing of prosocial utility flows is ambiguous and bypassed by most models of other-regarding preferences. We study the behavioral implications of the time structure of prosocial utility, leveraging a conceptual distinction between consequence-dated and choice-dated utility flows. We conduct a high-stakes donation experiment that comprehensively characterizes discounting behavior in self-other tradeoffs and allows us to identify different prosocialmotives fromtheir distinct time profiles. Our data can only be explained by a combination of choice- and consequencedated prosocial utility. Both motives are pervasive and negatively correlated at the individual level.
Original language | English |
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Journal | American Economic Journal: Microeconomics |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 1 |
Pages (from-to) | 329-57 |
ISSN | 1945-7669 |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2024 |
ID: 373549674