Events at CERGE-EI

Let us invite you to a Brown Bag Seminar by Theodhor Kouro (CERGE-EI PhD student)
on December 6, 2022, at 11:30 in room 11

Presenter: Theodhor Kouro

Title: "Understanding the role of autonomy in prosocial behavior: a natural field experiment with volunteers"

Abstract: "While there is an established literature on motivating volunteers extrinsically, the question of how to motivate volunteers intrinsically (effectively) remains under-researched. This project intends to add to this literature by investigating experimentally whether allowing episodic volunteers to choose their volunteering task motivates them to exert more effort, measured through a novel and creative task. It further delves into the mechanisms underlying a possible positive effect of choice/autonomy given to volunteers. In particular, I ask whether volunteers exert more effort because they can self-select into what they like or match their abilities with their chosen task. Moreover, the experimental design allows me (1) to evaluate the persistence of the autonomy effect on effort and (2) to benchmark this effect against a monetary recognition of volunteers. Lastly, this project intends to shed some light on a possible misperception of the prosocial behavior of volunteers."

This project is co-financed by the European Union.