Bigoni, Maria ;
Bortolotti, Stefania ;
Casari, Marco ;
Gambetta, Diego
(2017)
At the root of the North-South cooperation gap in Italy: Preferences or beliefs?
Bologna:
Dipartimento di Scienze economiche DSE,
p. 36.
DOI
10.6092/unibo/amsacta/5491.
In: Quaderni - Working Paper DSE
(1092).
ISSN 2282-6483.
Full text available as:
Abstract
The marked difference in the development of the North and the South of Italy represents a prototypical case of seemingly intractable within-country disparities. Recent research found that a plausible determinant of this socio-economic gap would be a difference in the ability to cooperate. Through a laboratory experiment we investigate whence this difference derives, whether from different preferences or from different beliefs. Our findings indicate that Northerners and Southerners share the same individual pro-social preferences, and that the cooperation gap lies rather in the pessimistic beliefs that Southerners have about their cooperativeness. Southerners, furthermore, manifest a stronger aversion to social risk, as compared to the risk of nature. A policy implication is that an intervention or an event that reduced pessimistic beliefs would directly boost cooperation levels.
Abstract
The marked difference in the development of the North and the South of Italy represents a prototypical case of seemingly intractable within-country disparities. Recent research found that a plausible determinant of this socio-economic gap would be a difference in the ability to cooperate. Through a laboratory experiment we investigate whence this difference derives, whether from different preferences or from different beliefs. Our findings indicate that Northerners and Southerners share the same individual pro-social preferences, and that the cooperation gap lies rather in the pessimistic beliefs that Southerners have about their cooperativeness. Southerners, furthermore, manifest a stronger aversion to social risk, as compared to the risk of nature. A policy implication is that an intervention or an event that reduced pessimistic beliefs would directly boost cooperation levels.
Document type
Monograph
(Working Paper)
Creators
Keywords
Betrayal aversion, conditional cooperation, experiments, Italy
Subjects
ISSN
2282-6483
DOI
Deposit date
13 Jan 2017 09:48
Last modified
15 Feb 2018 09:52
URI
Other metadata
Document type
Monograph
(Working Paper)
Creators
Keywords
Betrayal aversion, conditional cooperation, experiments, Italy
Subjects
ISSN
2282-6483
DOI
Deposit date
13 Jan 2017 09:48
Last modified
15 Feb 2018 09:52
URI
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