LAUSR

Abstract Offers in the Dictator game are considered altruistic behavior. Indicators of the need of the receiver like income or a specific request of the receiver influence proposers' decisions, along with traits such as greed and altruism. We investigated the combination of these influences in 140 participants. A higher need by the receiver led to higher offers up to equal share demands unless reactance led to lower offers for high-income receivers. Correspondingly, low-income receivers got more money than other receivers if asking for little. Trait altruism led to higher offers, while trait greed led to lower offers in above equal share requests. We found exploratory unusually high offers in our paradigm, lower offers from women and for requests in general.