Abstract
As a measure of how prosocial behavior depends on social distance, social discounting is defined as the decrease in generosity between the decision maker and the recipient as the social distance increases. While risk is a ubiquitous part of modern life, there is limited research on the relationship between risk and prosocial behavior. In the present experiment, we empirically test whether risk has an influence on social discounting. We use the choice titration procedure to examine this effect. Our data show that independent of risk, participants are less eager to forego money and exhibit more selfishness toward a specific person when the social distance increases; these findings are reflected in the hyperbolic model. Interestingly, risk influences the shape of the social discounting function, which is reflected in the notable different discount rates. Individuals who make decisions under risk yield a smaller discount rate than those who make decisions without risk, i.e., under risk subjects reduce less their generosity as a function of the social distance. Furthermore, this distinct type of generosity occurs typically among individuals with 10-distance recipients but not with the closest- and furthest-social-distance recipients.
Highlights
Prosocial behavior is vital to social functioning
Results show that participants from both risk and non-risk conditions are less eager to forego a reward by being generous as the social distance increases, which replicates previous research findings (Jones and Rachlin, 2006; Jones, 2007; Rachlin separately for each condition, indicating a good fit for the risk and Jones, 2008)
In the risk condition, participants have a smaller discount rate than those of non-risk condition, which indicates that generosity levels decay at a slower rate across social distance
Summary
Prosocial behavior is vital to social functioning. Many studies have shown that individuals take others’ interests into account and share resources in different social contexts (Twenge et al, 2007; Brañas-Garza et al, 2010; Corgnet et al, 2015; Padilla Walker et al, 2015; Simpson and Willer, 2015). It was demonstrated that social distance was one of determinants of prosocial giving (Brañas-Garza et al, 2010). Directed altruism increased giving to friends by 52% compared with random strangers (Leider et al, 2009). In another dictator game, even when the effect of reciprocity was controlled, donations to friends were still 35% higher than to strangers (Brañas-Garza et al, 2012). Even when the effect of reciprocity was controlled, donations to friends were still 35% higher than to strangers (Brañas-Garza et al, 2012) This means that our willingness to share goods and resources with other individuals is influenced by social distance. We tend to be more generous with those whom we feel closer to than with those who are further from us in social distance
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