Why do people leave bequests? For love or self-interest?

Arbeitspapier

This paper presents a brief exposition of three theoretical models of household behavior and shows that these models have very different implications for bequest motives and bequest division, surveys previous empirical studies on bequest motives and bequest division, presents unique survey data on bequest motives and bequest division in four countries, shows that there are large inter-country differences in the degree of selfishness and altruism, with the Japanese and Chinese being predominantly selfish and Indians and Americans being predominantly altruistic, and argues that differences in religiosity appear to be the main cause of inter-country differences in the degree of selfishness and altruism.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: UPSE Discussion Paper ; No. 2014-06

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis ; Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making‡ ; Macroeconomics: Consumption; Saving; Wealth ; Cultural Economics: Religion
• Subject: bequests ; inheritances ; estates ; inter vivos transfers ; intergenerational transfers ; bequest motives ; bequest division ; equal division ; altruism ; selfishness ; selfish life cycle model ; altruism model ; dynasty model ; primogeniture ; selfish exchange model

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Horioka, Charles Yuji
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): University of the Philippines, School of Economics (UPSE)
• (where): Quezon City
• (when): 2014

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/102073
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET