The differential effect of narratives prosocial behavior

Adrian Hillenbrand () and Eugenio Verrina
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Adrian Hillenbrand: Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods

No 2018_16, Discussion Paper Series of the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods from Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods

Abstract: We study how positive narratives (stories in favor of a prosocial action) and negative narratives (stories in favor of a selfish action) influence prosocial behavior. Our main findings are that positive narratives increase giving of selfish types substantially, compared to a baseline with no narratives. Negative narratives, on the other hand, have a differential effect. Prosocial types decrease their giving, while selfish types give more than in the baseline. We argue and provide evidence in favor of the following interpretation of our results: narratives offer a benchmark for social comparison, on top of influencing perceptions of deservingness and appropriateness. Subjects are swayed by narratives and, at the same time, they compare themselves with the narrator.

Keywords: Prosocial behavior; narratives; social comparison; dictator game; SVO (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C91 D63 D64 D83 D91 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-12, Revised 2020-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-exp and nep-hpe
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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