Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP16186
Authors: Cevat Giray Aksoy; Antonio Cabrales; Mathias Dolls; Ruben Durante; Lisa Windsteiger
Abstract: We conduct a large-scale incentivized survey experiment in nine EU countries to study how priming common economic interests (EU trade), a shared identity (EU common values), and a major health crisis (COVID-19), influences altruism, reciprocity and trust of EU citizens. We find that the COVID-19 treatment increases altruism and reciprocity towards compatriots, as well as altruism towards citizens of other EU countries. The EU common values treatment has similar effects and in addition also boosts reciprocity towards fellow Europeans. The EU trade treatment has no tangible impact on behavior. Trust in others is not affected by any treatment. Our results suggest that both a shared identity and a shared crisis can have a unifying effect among EU citizens, while shared economic interests (alone) do not significantly affect European cohesion.
Keywords: COVID-19; Europe; Altruism; Reciprocity; Survey Experiment
JEL Codes: D72; H51; H53; H55; O52; P52
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| COVID-19 treatment (C22) | altruism towards compatriots (F52) |
| COVID-19 treatment (C22) | reciprocity towards compatriots (F52) |
| COVID-19 treatment (C22) | altruism towards citizens of other EU countries (F55) |
| EU common values treatment (F55) | altruism towards compatriots (F52) |
| EU common values treatment (F55) | reciprocity towards compatriots (F52) |
| EU common values treatment (F55) | altruism towards citizens of other EU countries (F55) |
| EU common values treatment (F55) | reciprocity towards citizens of other EU countries (F55) |
| EU trade treatment (F13) | altruism towards compatriots (F52) |
| EU trade treatment (F13) | reciprocity towards compatriots (F52) |
| EU trade treatment (F13) | altruism towards citizens of other EU countries (F55) |
| EU trade treatment (F13) | reciprocity towards citizens of other EU countries (F55) |
| Trust in others (Z13) | altruism towards compatriots (F52) |
| Trust in others (Z13) | reciprocity towards compatriots (F52) |
| Trust in others (Z13) | altruism towards citizens of other EU countries (F55) |
| Trust in others (Z13) | reciprocity towards citizens of other EU countries (F55) |