Abstract
Are preferences endogenously determined in the womb? We play a public goods game with Ugandan children born during a conflict characterised by high civilian victimisation. Children whose caregivers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder are more likely to free-ride in the game. Genetic and environmental factors alone do not explain the relationship, but children's 2D:4D digit ratio – a marker of fetal hormone exposure associated with epigenetic effects of maternal distress – does. Our findings extend the fetal origins literature to the domain of preferences. By reducing next generation's taste for cooperation, conflict may have father-reaching economic consequences than previously thought.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 35-56 |
Journal | European Economic Review |
Volume | 101 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2018 |
Keywords
- Conflict
- Cooperation
- Digit ratio
- Fetal origins
- Prenatal stress
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Data underlying the publication: The effect of prenatal stress on cooperation: Evidence from violent conflict in Uganda
Cecchi, F. (Creator) & Duchoslav, J. (Creator), Wageningen University & Research, 2018
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