Social Efficiency Orientation in Rice Culture

By Soo Hong CHEW, Lawrence CHOO, Richard P. EBSTEIN and Yunfeng LU
Forthcoming in Experimental Economics

Abstract:

Using data from a large-scale behavioral experiment in Beijing, we investigate how social efficiency orientation may relate to rice culture proxied by the rice farming ratio in the subject’s birth province. We find that the observed behavior in several behavioral games that enhances social efficiency is positively associated with the rice farming ratio. This is corroborated by a further analysis of data related to giving help from the China Family Panel Studies. The overall finding supports our hypothesis that rice culture fosters the individual’s intrinsic preference toward greater social efficiency.