The Effect of Political Identity Priming on Altruism

This paper examines the effect of a political identity prime on altruistic behavior, measured through dictator games. Using a word puzzle with words that have a right-wing connotation, subjects were primed before being presented with four games with both 'deserving' (Red Cross) and neutral recipients. No significant effect of the political prime on altruism was observed. Findings from previous literature suggesting people donate more to 'deserving' recipients were confirmed.