ICES Seminar in Experimental Economics and Game Theory

Marital Arrangement and Spousal Cooperation: A lab-in-the-field experiment in Pakistan

Friday, March 10, 2023 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EST
Online Location, Zoom Meeting

 

The ICES Seminar in Experimental Economics and Game Theory of the Spring 2023 semester will feature:

Daniele Nosenzo

Aarhus University

Marital Arrangement and Spousal Cooperation: A lab-in-the-field experiment in Pakistan

 

 

Abstract

We conduct lab-in-the-field experiments with married couples in Pakistan to study whether the nature of their marital arrangement (arranged by family vs autonomously selected by the spouses) is a determinant of intra-household cooperative efficiency. Across three studies we show that: (i) spouses in arranged marriages suffer a 'cooperation deficit' compared to those in autonomous marriages; (ii) the effect cannot be explained by self-selection of differently cooperative individuals into different types of marriage; (iii) the magnitude of the effect varies with context (urban vs rural) and is related to the perceived social acceptability of autonomous marriages in one's community.

 

For more information about the Seminar Series, please visit the Seminar Schedule homepage.