In standard economic theory human beings are portrayed as selfish money-maximizing actors. This book investigates the conditions under which people deviate from this prediction and when they are prepared to contribute to the common good in a more altruistic fashion. Based on field experiments from charitable giving, Stephan Meier analyses people's decisions to contribute to public goods. He argues that people are more likely to contribute if their giving is matched by more money - people are generous if their peers also show this trait. He investigates the conditions under which people are willing to voluntarily contribute and draws conclusions on how the empirical findings influence economic theory and policy.

Academic economists interested in behavioural economics or public economics will find The Economics of Non-selfish Behaviour of great interest as will the general public interested in developments in economics.