Understanding Paternalism

The Research project Understanding Paternalism provides a truly novel approach to research on paternalism, by providing unique experimental studies of paternalism that can enhance our understanding of what drives paternalistic policies and paternalistic behavior in different spheres of society. The appropriate role of paternalistic behavior is a key issue in the political debate about the relationship between the state and is also at the heart of many interpersonal relationships, in particular the relationship between parents and their children. The research project has conducted a series of experiments to systematically examine how people make choices in situations where there is a trade-off between a person's freedom and autonomy and other moral values. Below we highlight the main subprojects that have been fully or partially financed by the research project. a. Ex ante Pareto versus ex post egalitarianism? (A. Cappelen and B. Tungodden). In this subproject, we study experimentally how people handle situations where there is a conflict between a conflict between the concern for personal freedom and the concern for equality. We elicit workers preferences for payment options and then ask spectators (4000 participants who are representative of the US and Norwegian) to choose payment option for two workers. We find that a large majority of the spectators, in both countries violate the Ex ante Pareto Principle to ensure ex post equality. b. Free to fail? Paternalistic preferences in the USA (with B. Bartling, A. Cappelen, H. Hermes, M. Skivenes and B. Tungodden). In this subproject, we have conducted a large-scale incentivized experiment with 14000 participants from the general population in the US where we compare people's attitudes to soft versus hard paternalism. We find that a large majority (66 percent) are unwilling to restrict someone else's choice set (hard paternalism) even when it unconditionally improves the outcome for the affected person. In contrast, close to 90 percent are willing to be soft paternalists (and provide information). The paper is completed and being submitted. c. Gender Preferences for Competition: Children versus Parents (A. Willen and J. Tungodden) In this subproject, we compare gender differences in children's willingness to compete and compare this with the parents? willingness to choose competition for their children. This paper is published in Journal of Political Economy. d. How do adults handle distributive conflicts among children? Experimental Evidence from China and Norway? (A. Cappelen, R. Falch, Z. Huang, and B. Tungodden). In this subproject, we examine whether the way in which adults handle distributive conflicts between children differ across societies. In a large-scale experiment with 6014 adults and 6014 pairs of children, we compare how adults in two very different societies, China and Norway, make real distributive choices in situations involving two children of the same age. Adults in China accept twice as much inequality as adults in Norway. The paper is submitted. e. The child's best interest principle? (M. Skivenes and L. Sørsdal). In this subproject, we examine how governments in 14 high-income countries interpret the principle of the child's best interest and find significant differences. The paper is published in the anthology Human Rights in Child Protection (eds: Falch-Eriksen and Backe-Hansen). f. Paternalism across the world (B. Bartling, A. Cappelen, H. Hermes, A. Moody, M. Skivenes and B. Tungodden). In collaboration with Gallup we will include a module on paternalism in the 2020 wave of the Gallup World Poll. It will be implemented in 60 countries and have 66.000 participants. The module will include a battery of other question, including questions that will shed light on attitudes to paternalism between state and citizens. Data has been collected and is currently being analyzed. g. Allowing children to choose (with A. Aizer, A. Cappelen, A. Kalil, K. Salvanes, M. Skivenes, E. Sørensen, and B. Tungodden, co-financed with FAIR). In this project, we will examine parent’s decision about whether to allow their child to make decisions in different domains and how this varies with the age of the child. We have three age groups of children: 5 year olds, 10 year olds and 15 year olds. For each age group we will one of their choice alternatives. Data is collected is completed. h. Exercise Improves Academic Performance (with A. Cappelen, Gary Charness, Mathias Ekström, Uri Gneezy and Bertil Tungodden). This project studies whether reducing barriers to exercise can improve academic performance for students. In a large-scale randomized field experiment, we show that giving people a free gym card causally results in increased exercise and improved academic performance. We also shed light on the mechanism behind this result. The paper is accepted in Journal of Political Economics.

This project has resulted in a better understanding of the fundamental moral values in a liberal egalitarian society. A large number of research papers has been financed by the project, including two papers in top five journals in economics. The results have been communicated to the general public and to numerous stakeholders. The project has contributed to an increased focus on paternalism in the international research community and to new research applications, including a successful application for a large interdisciplinary research project.

The Research project Understanding Paternalism provides a truly novel approach to research on paternalism, by providing unique experimental studies of paternalism that can enhance our understanding of what drives paternalistic policies and paternalistic behavior in different spheres of society. The appropriate role of paternalistic behavior is a key issue in the political debate about the relationship between the state and is also at the heart of many interpersonal relationships, in particular the relationship between parents and their children. The proposed research project will conduct the first ever experiments to systematically examine how people make choices in situations where there is a trade-off between a person's freedom and autonomy and other moral values. The project takes a broader approach to paternalism than the existing literature, by moving beyond the focus of paternalism as being a feature of a hierarchical relationship, between the state and the citizen or between the parent and the child, to also study the nature of paternalistic behavior in non-hierarchical relationships. The project also introduces the concept of extended paternalism, which takes place when the paternalistic intervention is justified by being in the interest of some other moral value. The project has three main parts. In the first part of this research project, we study the nature of paternalism, by examining people's willingness to behave paternalistically in interpersonal relationship in large-scale incentivized and non-incentivized experiments involving nationally representative samples. The second part of the project provides unique experimental studies of paternalism in practice. The third part of the project launches an ambitious study of paternalism across the world, which uses large-scale experiments involving nationally representative samples in 20 countries to collect unique data on how paternalistic behavior varies across cultures and institutional frameworks.