Is altruism paternalistic?

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Jacobsson, Fredric; Johannesson, Magnus; Borgquist, Lars
• 署名单位: Linkoping University; Stockholm School of Economics
• 刊物名称: ECONOMIC JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0013-0133
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0297.2007.02049.x
• 发表日期: 2007
• 页码: 761-781
• 关键词: all-cause mortality; welfare loss; dictator; INFORMATION; transfers; anonymity; fitness; empathy; GOODS; pain

摘要

We test if altruism is paternalistic with respect to health. Subjects can donate money or nicotine patches to a smoking diabetes patient whose willingness to pay for nicotine patches is positive but below the market price. In a between-subjects treatment, average donations are 40% greater in the nicotine patches group. When subjects can donate both nicotine patches and money more than 90% of the donations are given in kind rather than cash. These results are also confirmed in three additional stability experiments that vary the framing, use food stamps instead of money, and use exercise instead of nicotine patches.