Date of Graduation

Spring 5-18-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in International and Development Economics

College/School

College of Arts and Sciences

Department/Program

Economics

First Advisor

Bruce Wydick

Abstract

This study examines whether social trust, a key aspect of social capital, influences individual generosity behaviors. Previous research has explored the relationship between social capital and philanthropic actions, but comprehensive analyses remain sparse. To address this gap, we employed a dictator game together with trust-related survey questions, collecting data from participants across five countries globally. We categorized trust into four distinct areas: social trust, ingroup trust, outgroup trust, and general trust. Similarly, we divided our dependent variable, generosity, into two types: costly generous and costless generous behaviors. Our findings were mixed and varied by location. Overall, general trust positively influenced both forms of generosity across all our regions. In contrast, social trust predominantly enhanced only costless generous behaviors. Notably, females exhibited lower levels of generosity compared to males across all countries.

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