Generosity, anonymity, gender

We examine experimentally how a person's generosity depends on the degree of anonymity between giver and recipient, as well as on the parties' sexes. Less is given when the giver is paid on stage rather than in private; men receive less than women; fewer men than women give non-zero amounts. The results suggest that it may be problematic to organize experimental data in terms of social distance. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.