ICES Seminar in Experimental Economics and Game Theory
Macro-Policies and Micro-Behavior: Cross-National Evidence from 1,000+ Studies
Friday, November 6, 2026 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EST
Vernon Smith Hall (formerly Metropolitan Building), 5183
The ICES Seminar in Experimental Economics and Game Theory of the Fall 2026 semester will feature:
Baylor University
Macro-Policies and Micro-Behavior: Cross-National Evidence from 1,000+ Studies
Abstract
We combine societal-level institutional measures from 51 countries between 1996 and 2017 with individual decision-making outcome data from 1,126 laboratory experiments in six meta-analyses to evaluate the effects of within-country institutional change on pro-social and Nash behavior. We find that government effectiveness and regulatory freedom positively correlate with pro-social behavior. We find that freedom from each of the following components of regulation; interest rate controls, binding minimum wages, worker dismissal protections, conscription, and administrative requirements; are correlated with prosocial behavior and are inversely correlated with Nash behavior. These results suggest the importance of considering spillover effects in pro-social behavior when designing government policy.
For more information about the Seminar Series, please visit the Seminar Schedule homepage.
