Heterogenous effects of the Great East Japan earthquake on prosociality of people depending on their age
Abstract This study investigates the instability of prosociality in the real world by looking at the age-specific non-linear relationship between disaster exposure and prosocial behavior. We employed unique microdata from two communities in Japan that were hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake and...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29536-6 |
| _version_ | 1797864677721505792 |
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| author | Yasuyuki Sawada Toyo Ashida Keiko Iwasaki |
| author_facet | Yasuyuki Sawada Toyo Ashida Keiko Iwasaki |
| author_sort | Yasuyuki Sawada |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This study investigates the instability of prosociality in the real world by looking at the age-specific non-linear relationship between disaster exposure and prosocial behavior. We employed unique microdata from two communities in Japan that were hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami disaster in 2011. Exploiting exogenous variations in disaster exposure, we find age-specific heterogeneous effects of disaster exposure on prosocial behavior captured by the behavior of sending New Year’s cards as well as attitudinal survey questions. Among the older groups, disaster damages undermine prosociality, whereas the younger groups show reinforced prosocial behaviors. These findings can be explained consistently by combining two possible determinants of prosocial behavior: pure or impure altruism and self-enforcements in repeated interactions at workplaces. Age information can help disentangle these two elements at least partially. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T22:55:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-28439a71b84744588194d2a42d90c211 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T22:55:51Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-28439a71b84744588194d2a42d90c2112023-03-22T11:13:30ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-02-0113111010.1038/s41598-023-29536-6Heterogenous effects of the Great East Japan earthquake on prosociality of people depending on their ageYasuyuki Sawada0Toyo Ashida1Keiko Iwasaki2Faculty of Economics, University of TokyoHitotsubashi Institute for Advanced Study (HIAS), Hitotsubashi UniversityNLI Research InstituteAbstract This study investigates the instability of prosociality in the real world by looking at the age-specific non-linear relationship between disaster exposure and prosocial behavior. We employed unique microdata from two communities in Japan that were hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami disaster in 2011. Exploiting exogenous variations in disaster exposure, we find age-specific heterogeneous effects of disaster exposure on prosocial behavior captured by the behavior of sending New Year’s cards as well as attitudinal survey questions. Among the older groups, disaster damages undermine prosociality, whereas the younger groups show reinforced prosocial behaviors. These findings can be explained consistently by combining two possible determinants of prosocial behavior: pure or impure altruism and self-enforcements in repeated interactions at workplaces. Age information can help disentangle these two elements at least partially.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29536-6 |
| spellingShingle | Yasuyuki Sawada Toyo Ashida Keiko Iwasaki Heterogenous effects of the Great East Japan earthquake on prosociality of people depending on their age Scientific Reports |
| title | Heterogenous effects of the Great East Japan earthquake on prosociality of people depending on their age |
| title_full | Heterogenous effects of the Great East Japan earthquake on prosociality of people depending on their age |
| title_fullStr | Heterogenous effects of the Great East Japan earthquake on prosociality of people depending on their age |
| title_full_unstemmed | Heterogenous effects of the Great East Japan earthquake on prosociality of people depending on their age |
| title_short | Heterogenous effects of the Great East Japan earthquake on prosociality of people depending on their age |
| title_sort | heterogenous effects of the great east japan earthquake on prosociality of people depending on their age |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29536-6 |
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