An Experimental Study of Intergenerational Altruism in the Prisoner's Dilemma

Last registered on May 11, 2026
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
An Experimental Study of Intergenerational Altruism in the Prisoner's Dilemma
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018575
Initial registration date
May 07, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
May 11, 2026, 9:11 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Lingbo Huang
Affiliation
Shandong University
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Yu Pang
PI Affiliation
Macau University of Science and Technology
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PI Name
Simon Fan
PI Affiliation
Lingnan University
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2026-05-14
End date
2026-06-30
Keywords
Behavior, Labor
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Can intergenerational altruism sustain cooperation in a Prisoner's Dilemma when each active player cares about the payoff of a successor who inherits the same family position in the next generation? The experiment tests whether the ``shadow of posterity'' changes cooperation when standard repeated-game incentives are limited by an OLG role structure. It also decomposes communication into a horizontal partner channel and a vertical parent-child channel.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Fan, Simon, Lingbo Huang and Yu Pang. 2026. "An Experimental Study of Intergenerational Altruism in the Prisoner's Dilemma." AEA RCT Registry. May 11. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18575-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The main experiment uses a 3 × 2 factorial design. The first dimension varies the communication protocol across sessions: no communication (T1), partner communication only (T2), and sequential parent-child plus partner communication (T3). The second dimension varies the intergenerational altruism parameter α ∈ {0.4, 1.6}. Within a session, both the communication protocol and the altruism parameter are held fixed across three dynasties.
Intervention Start Date
2026-05-14
Intervention End Date
2026-06-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
cooperation rate across generations
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The main experiment uses a 3 × 2 factorial design. The first dimension varies the communication protocol across sessions: no communication (T1), partner communication only (T2), and sequential parent-child plus partner communication (T3). The second dimension varies the intergenerational altruism parameter α ∈ {0.4, 1.6}. Within a session, both the communication protocol and the altruism parameter are held fixed across three dynasties.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
randomization by computer
Randomization Unit
Treatment randomization is employed at session level.
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
Each treatment has 3 sessions of 35 subjects each. 18 sessions in total
Sample size: planned number of observations
18 sessions, 630 participants in total.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
105 participants per treatment
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
The Research Ethics Committee of School of Business, Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST)
IRB Approval Date
2026-04-02
IRB Approval Number
MSB-202624
Analysis Plan

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