New research by Brock Economics Professor Marcel Oestreich examines why people often choose to share money with others even when they are under no obligation to do so.

Co-authored with Dirk Betz and Claudia Biniossek, the paper, “Dictator Game Variations and Their Influence on Transfers,“ is forthcoming in Homo Oeconomicus: Journal of Behavioral and Institutional Economics.

The study uses the Dictator Game, a widely used experiment in behavioral economics in which one participant decides how to divide a sum of money between themselves and another person. While the “dictator” can keep the entire amount, participants frequently choose to give some of it away.

The researchers find that transfers increased when recipients suggested how the money should be divided, up to an equal split. Transfers also increased when the suggestion came from a computer, indicating that interpersonal communication is not the only factor influencing generosity.

Follow-up requests led to even higher transfers, with average total giving exceeding 50 per cent of the initial amount. The findings show how the design of an interaction can influence decisions about sharing and generosity.