The stock of effective antibiotics is a potentially renewable but currently finite common resource. Depletion, through the development of resistance, which occurs with all use, poses a large and growing menace to public health, but prudent antibiotics use can delay the spread of resistance. Individuals’ preferences may be of importance for the possibility to overcome social dilemmas, such as common resource conservation. In this study the role of other-regarding preferences and time preferences in the use of antibiotics is examined in a field experiment at clinics in the County of Stockholm, Sweden. The results indicate that altruism, as measured by willingness to give to a charity, is associated with less antibiotics use. Time preferences do not appear to play a role. Overconfidence in the effectiveness of antibiotics is widespread, and significantly associated with antibiotics use.
Altruism, Time Preferences, and Common Resource Conservation: A Field Study on Preferences and Antibiotics Use Available to Purchase
Thanks to Astri Muren, Jakob Svensson, Conny Wollbrant, and seminar participants at Stockholm University, Lund University, Gothenburg University, Linkoping University, 7th Nordic Conference on Behavioural and Experimental Economics and the 2013 Asia-Pacific ESA Conference, as well as two anonymous reviewers for useful comments, and to Strama Stockholm for facilitating the field study. Any mistakes are my own. Funding from The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and The Jan Wallander and Tom Hedelius Foundation is gratefully acknowledged. The funding sources have had no influence on the study design or analysis.
Östervall LW (2019), "Altruism, Time Preferences, and Common Resource Conservation: A Field Study on Preferences and Antibiotics Use". Review of Behavioral Economics, Vol. 6 No. 3 pp. 219–248, doi: https://doi.org/10.1561/105.00000108
Download citation file:
Sign in
ICE Member Sign In
Log inPurchased this content as a guest? Enter your email address to restore access.
