Social identity in a dynamic resource experiment with endogenous shocks: Evidence from Guinea. Solo-authorship. JMP 1. Available upon request.
This study investigates how social identity—particularly ethnic affiliation—shapes behavior in dynamic resource-sharing environments. We design a novel common-pool resource game with intergenerational structure and endogenous environmental shocks to examine whether and how ethnic heterogeneity influences resource extraction decisions across time. In our experiment, resource overuse triggers irreversible degradation once a critical "tipping point" is crossed, affecting the resource stock available to future players. Each round represents a new generation, with two players making simultaneous extraction choices over five periods. The game captures the inherent trade-off between immediate consumption and long-term sustainability—a central challenge in managing shared environmental resources. To explore the behavioral effects of social identity, we conduct a lab-in-the-field experiment in Guinea, focusing on two prominent ethnic groups: the Fulani and the Malinke. Participants are assigned to one of four treatments: (1) Control (no ethnic information revealed), (2) Fulani Only, (3) Malinke Only, and (4) Mixed, where one Fulani and one Malinke participant are paired, with ethnicity made salient. Our central hypothesis is that social identity—especially ethnic homogeneity—will foster greater concern for future generations and lead to more conservative extraction behavior. Results support this hypothesis, but with important asymmetries. Fulani participants in homogeneous groups consistently extract less than in mixed or anonymous settings, particularly in later periods when the risk of resource collapse becomes salient. However, this is not the case for the Malinke. Specifically for natural resource management, these results suggest the need for strong intergenerational group-based norm enforcement.
Financial literacy and risk preferences: Experimental investigation in Guinea. With R. Tacneng, et al (Limoges). JMP 2. Click here for a copy of the draft.
Poverty causes financial vulnerability in developing countries. Financial literacy could be essential in coping with economic shocks, especially for the poor. This paper examines the influence of financial literacy and its components: financial knowledge, attitude, and behavior, on risk preferences. With novel field data from Guinea in Africa, and using a survey and incentivized investment game to measure an individual’s willingness to take on risk, we find diverging effects of financial attitude and knowledge on risk preferences. Individuals with a stronger knowledge of financial concepts are more willing to take on risks, but so are those with negative attitudes toward saving and future planning. We also find that trust strengthens the link between financial knowledge and risk attitude. Our findings highlight the need for policymakers to accentuate financial knowledge and non-myopic financial attitudes when developing financial education programs to ensure that individuals can make informed financial decisions efficiently.
Migrant labor policy and perceptions of prosperity: Nationwide survey experiment in the Philippines. With M. PERSICHINA (Roma Tor Vergata). Available upon request.
Other Working Papers - United Nations Projects
Puzon, Klarizze Anne Martin. Solo-authored. Democracy Clusters and Patterns of Inequality: A K-Means Approach, WIDER Working Paper 2023/72 Helsinki: UNU-WIDER, 2023. Submitted: Social Indicators Research.
Puzon with T. Hoang et al. Inequality and Institutional Outcomes in Viet Nam: A Combined Principal Components and Clustering Analysis, WIDER Working Paper 2024/38 Helsinki: UNU-WIDER, 2024. Submitted: Social Indicators Research.