The Persistent Effect of Competition on Prosociality

• 成果类型: Article; Early Access
• 署名作者: Kosse, Fabian; Rajan, Ranjita; Tincani, Michela
• 署名单位: University of Wurzburg; University of London; University College London; University of London; London School Economics & Political Science
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1542-4766
• DOI: 10.1093/jeea/jvaf030
• 发表日期: 2025
• 关键词: behavioral spillovers; RECIPROCITY; egalitarianism; COORDINATION; tournaments; sabotage; trust

摘要

We present the first causal evidence on the persistent impact of enduring competition on prosociality. Inspired by the literature on tournaments within firms, which shows that competitive compensation schemes reduce cooperation in the short-run, we explore if enduring exposure to a competitive environment persistently attenuates prosociality. Based on a large-scale randomized intervention in the education context, we find lower levels of prosociality for students who just experienced a 2-year competition period. Four-year follow-up data indicate that the effect persists and generalizes, suggesting a change in traits and not only in behavior.