Does Studying Economics Discourage Cooperation? Watch What We Do, Not What We Say or How We Play

Abstract

T he weight of evidence clearly suggests that, based on what economics students say and how they play games, those who study economics appear to be less cooperative than those who do not. In a recent issue of this journal, Frank, Gilovich and Regan (1993) compile the evidence for this view. Using the results of others and new studies of their own, they show that economics students are more likely to free ride or defect from coalitions. In addition, they present survey results that indicate lowered cooperation by students after exposure to the principles of economics course and other surveys that find that professional economists report less charitable giving.This evidence is consistent with the proposition that studying economics alters how students play structured games and answer surveys about cooperativeness. However, we disagree with the additional conclusion that, as Frank, Gilovich and Regan (1993, p. 159) put it in their article, "exposure to the self-interest model commonly used in economics alters the extent to which people behave in self-interested ways." In fact, the evidence in this paper implies that even if undergraduate students of economics display uncooperative behavior in specialized games or surveys, their "real-world" behavior is actually substantially more cooperative than that of their counterparts studying other subjects. Analytical IssuesDrawing a connection between the study of economics and changes in cooperative behavior isn't easy. Here, we raise four difficulties in any such analysis.

Support for free-market policies and reforms: Does the field of study influence students' political attitudes?

“…Many studies have therefore explored whether economists are more selfish than their fellow students (Marvell and Ames, 1981;Selten and Ockenfels, 1998;Bauman and Rose, 2011). A third line of investigation goes even further and asks whether economists, in an overzealous attempt to conform to a misconceived notion of the selfish homo economicus, are more prone to violate well established and generally acknowledged ethical and legal norms (Frank et al, 1993;Yezer et al, 1996;Frank and Schulze, 2000). The general picture that emerges from this literature has not changed much since Kirchgässner's (2005) survey in 6 which he summarizes the conflicting evidence by observing "that at least in some respect, and especially with respect to their perception of economic mechanisms, political economists are different".…”

Not guilty? Another look at the nature and nurture of economics students

“…For example, Yezer, Goldfarb and Poppen (1996) find in their experiment that economics students are more cooperative than students from other disciplines.…”

2. On The Export of U.S.- Style Corporate Fiduciary Duties to Other Cultures: Can a Transplant Take?

“…38 loan (Yezer et al 1996), suggesting that while economics students may cooperate less in formal social dilemma games, they may be more willing to cooperate in "real world" situations. 39 For example, cooperative behavior in a particular culture that appears altruistic on first inspection may in fact be driven by non-legal "social" sanctions that are not readily apparent to someone outside the society.…”