Repeated pro-social behavior in the presence of economic interventions

Abstract

We investigate the immediate and subsequent effects of two prominent drivers of charitable giving: a charitable lottery and an income tax. Employing a modified two-round dictator game with the subject's charity of choice as recipient, we find increased immediate donations in the presence of both a charitable lottery and an income tax. We observe positive spillover effects for both treatments, after removing the incentives. Spillovers are particularly observable for participants who express a deontological mindset.