Understanding Conformity: An Experimental Investigation

B. Douglas Bernheim and Christine L. Exley (clexley@hbs.edu)
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Christine L. Exley: Harvard Business School, Negotiation, Organizations & Markets Unit

No 16-070, Harvard Business School Working Papers from Harvard Business School

Abstract: Some theories of conformity hold that social equilibrium either standardizes inferences or promotes a shared understanding of conventions and norms among individuals with fixed heterogeneous preferences (belief mechanisms). Others depict tastes as fluid and hence subject to social influences (preference mechanisms). Belief mechanisms dominate discussions of conformity within economics, but preference mechanisms receive significant attention in other social sciences. This paper seeks to determine whether conformity is attributable to belief mechanisms or preference mechanisms by exploiting their distinctive implications for the process of convergence. Laboratory experiments suggest that economists have focused too narrowly on explanations for conformity involving belief mechanisms.

Keywords: conformity; norms; image motivation; prosocial behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 64 pages
Date: 2015-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-evo, nep-exp, nep-neu and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (22)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hbs:wpaper:16-070

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