Enhancing cooperation and investigating peer effects on human capital formation: A randomized-controlled field study with primary school children

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Daniel Schunk
• Subject Area: Economic Policy, Applied Economics
• Term: from 2017 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 318667586

Our proposal has two main objectives. The first objective is to test whether and if so to what extent individual preferences for cooperation are malleable and can be systematically affected in a positive way. In particular, we hypothesize that the actual experience of cooperation for a substantial period of time has a lasting effect on cooperative behavior by affecting preferences for cooperation. Exploring the sources of differences in preferences for and patterns of cooperation provides a new perspective on the large literature ineconomics and related fields pointing to the importance of cooperation for allocative outcomes, for the efficient use of common pools, and for the resolution of conflicts. The second objective of our project is to investigate the effect of the social environment on individual characteristics and preferences more generally. We ask the question to what degree initial characteristics of an individual`s social environment causally affect the development, i.e. changes, of this individual`s characteristics over time. The very comprehensive longitudinal data set that we will be collecting allows us to follow a number of further subordinate objectives which are described in more detail in the proposal. The focus of our field study will be on children,as previous research has shown that (1) the level of malleability of preferences and skills seems to be higher for young children, and (2)differences in development at this age are strong predictors for life outcomes. To address its objectives while ensuring causal inference and high external validity, our research proposal uses a randomized controlled intervention in the natural context of the participants, German primary schools.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigators: Professor Dr. Florian Hett; Professor Dr. Mario Mechtel