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Keywords

behavioral economics public goods corruption COVID-19 Public Goods Game Trust Game

Abstract

This study aims to identify the factors that influence teenagers’ likelihood to contribute to the public good during a public health crisis. I hypothesized that students from countries with higher rates of corruption would be less likely to contribute financially and through personal health measures to combat the current COVID-19 pandemic. Using an electronic survey, I gathered data from 276 high school students in seven countries where there are varying levels of corruption. The data includes demographics (age, gender, religiosity), personal COVID-19 remediation behaviors, and answers to two game theory experiments. The two experiments were the Public Goods Game, a classic experiment in behavioral economics, and the Government Trust Game, a variant of my own creation modeled after the Trust Game experiment. Analyses of these data reveal global consistency in teens’ willingness to contribute financially to the public good, regardless of the level of perceived local corruption. However, in more corrupt environments, there exists less trust among teens that their peers will donate as generously, less trust of government to provide a positive return on financial contributions, and less pro-sociality of health behaviors. Additionally, subjects who were more trusting of their community, practiced more pro-social health behaviors. I conclude that teenagers’ financial altruism is not affected by perceived corruption, but trust that others are equally altruistic, and willingness to take pro-social health precautions, is highly dependent on corruption. My results also indicate that the establishment of trust in more corrupt communities may be key in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and future public health crises.

Methods

To conduct the study, I used two behavioral economics experiments, or games, translated into an electronic survey that asked each subject a series of questions to collect demographic data and individual preferences for pandemic-related health behaviors. Then, having established relationships with several high schools internationally, I distributed the survey to high school students in seven countries, including Tanzania, Kenya, Iraq, Algeria, India, Malaysia, and the United States.

Expected Outcome

I hypothesize that students from countries with higher rates of corruption would be less likely to contribute financially and through personal health measures to combat the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Observed Outcome

Among the key findings, data showed little to no correlation between corruption and individuals’ financial altruism for the public good. On average, participants contributed about the same amount, independent of the amount of corruption in their environment. This seems to indicate that altruism is intrinsic in the human condition and that environmental factors, including societal corruption, are less likely to affect individuals’ willingness to support their larger community. The data also showed that subjects from countries with higher rates of corruption are less trusting of their peers. Participants from corrupt countries expected others in the community to donate less to the public good than did participants from less corrupt countries.