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Title: Effects of religiosity on social behaviour: Experimental evidence from a representative sample of Spaniards

Author(s): Pablo Bra�as-Garza, Antonio M. Esp�n and Shoshana Neuman

Publication Date: October 2013

Keyword(s): church attendance, economic experiments, pro-social behaviour, religion and Spain

Programme Area(s): Labour Economics and Public Economics

Abstract: This study explores the effect of several personal religion-related variables on social behaviour, using three paradigmatic economic games: the dictator (DG), ultimatum (UG), and trust (TG) games. A large carefully designed sample of a Spanish urban adult population (N=766) is employed. From participants? decisions in these games we obtain measures of altruism, bargaining behaviour and sense of fairness/equality, trust, and positive reciprocity. Three dimensions of religiosity are examined: (i) religious denomination; (ii) the intensity of religiosity, measured by active participation at church services; and (iii) converting out into a different denomination than the one raised in. The major results are: (i) individuals with ?no religion? made decisions closer to rational selfish behaviour in the DG and the UG compared to those who affiliate with a ?standard? religious denomination; (ii) among Catholics, intensity of religiosity is the key variable that affects social behaviour insofar as religiously-active individuals are generally more pro-social than non-active ones; and (iii) the religion raised in seems to have no effect on pro-sociality, beyond the effect of the current measures of religiosity. Importantly, behaviour in the TG is not predicted by any of the religion-related variables we analyse. Given the accelerating share of ?no religion? individuals (in Europe and elsewhere) and the large influx of immigrants ? who tend to be more religiously active compared to the native populations ? our findings have significant implications for the future pro-sociality patterns in Europe.

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Bibliographic Reference

Bra�as-Garza, P, Esp�n, A and Neuman, S. 2013. 'Effects of religiosity on social behaviour: Experimental evidence from a representative sample of Spaniards'. London, Centre for Economic Policy Research. https://cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=9709