An inquiry into the relationship between intelligence and prosocial behavior: Evidence from Swedish population registers

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Elinder, Mikael; Erixson, Oscar
• 署名单位: Uppsala University
• 刊物名称: ECONOMIC JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0013-0133
• DOI: 10.1093/ej/ueae105
• 发表日期: 2025
• 页码: 1141-1166
• 关键词: cognitive-ability; construct-validity; voter turnout; education; preferences; personality; gains; AGE; determinants; predictors

摘要

We investigate the relationship between intelligence and prosocial behaviour, using administrative data on cognitive ability, charitable giving, voting and possession of eco-friendly cars for 1.2 million individuals. We find strong positive associations for all three behaviours, which remain when using twin-pair fixed effects to account for confounders. We also find that general (fluid) intelligence is a stronger predictor than other dimensions of cognitive ability, and that most of the relationship remains after controlling for a set of mediators, suggesting a direct impact on prosocial behaviour. Finally, we show that cognitive ability is also positively related to a survey measure of altruism.