Causes and Consequences of Inter-Group Conflict: Experimental Approach

Institute of Economic Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University

CERGE-EI

Leading representatives of the research team: PhDr. Michal Bauer, Ph.D., doc. PhDr. Julie Chytilová Ph.D.

Contacts: Julie Chytilová (julie.chytilova@fsv.cuni.cz), Michal Bauer (michal.bauer@fsv.cuni.cz)

Intergroup conflict is among the most pressing problems facing human society, giving rise to phenomena including wars and discrimination. This research program aims to study sources as well as consequences of inter-group conflict. Specific topics include the legacies of exposure to war violence on cooperation and identity, reintegration of former soldiers, spreading of hostile attitudes and behaviour and behavioural magnifiers of discrimination of ethnic minorities. Conceptually, our work is motivated by theories from economics and psychology. To find answers, we use tools from experimental economics and collect original micro-level data among relevant populations in the field settings, such as Uganda, Sierra Leone, India, the Republic of Georgia, or Eastern Slovakia.

Selected outputs

• Bauer, M. – Fiala, N. – Levely, I. (2017), Trusting Former Rebels: An Experimental Approach to Understanding Reintegration after Civil War, Economic Journal, forthcoming;

• Bartoš, V. – Bauer, M. – Chytilová, J. – Matějka, F. (2016), Attention Discrimination: Theory and Field Experiments with Monitoring Information Acquisition, American Economic Review 106(6): 1437-75;

• Bauer, M. – Blattman, C. – Chytilová, J. – Henrich, J. – Miguel, E. – Mitts, T. (2016), Can War Foster Cooperation?, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 30(3): 249-274;

• Bauer, M. – Chytilová, J. – Cassar, A. – Henrich, J. (2013), War's Enduring Effects on Egalitarian Motivations and In-Group Biases, Psychological Science, 25(1): 47-57.