Risk Preferences and Self-Control Behavior Following War : Evidence from Syrian Children

War causes disruption. In this study, we examine risk preferences and self-control behaviors of young children from Syria as they were exposed to the Syrian war. We measure children’s risk preferences and self-control ability using incentivized games. To discern the effect of the war from other confounding effects, we compare children born in Syria and exposed to the war with children living in the Turkish side of the border and not exposed to the war. We find that conflict affects behavior. After controlling for demographics and cognitive ability, children exposed to the war take more risks. We do not find a significant impact of exposure to the war on self-control or on impulsivity