Contagion of Pro- and Anti-Social Behavior Among Peers and the Role of Social Proximity

Eugen Dimant

No 2018-04, Discussion Papers from The Centre for Decision Research and Experimental Economics, School of Economics, University of Nottingham

Abstract: This paper uses a novel experimental design to study the contagion of pro- and antisocial behavior and the role of social proximity among peers. Across systematic variations thereof, we find that anti-social behavior is generally more contagious than pro-social behavior. Surprisingly, we also find that social proximity amplifies the contagion of anti-social behavior more strongly than the contagion of pro-social behavior, and that anti-social individuals are most susceptible to behavioral contagion of other anti-social peers. These findings paired with the methodological contribution are informative for the design of effective norm-based policy interventions directed at facilitating (reducing) pro- (anti-)social behavior in social and economic environments.

Keywords: Behavioral Contagion; Peer Effects; Anti-Social & Pro-Social Behavior (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-exp, nep-knm, nep-soc and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Contagion of Pro- and Anti-Social Behavior among Peers and the Role of Social Proximity (2020)
Journal Article: Contagion of pro- and anti-social behavior among peers and the role of social proximity (2019)
Working Paper: On Peer Effects: Contagion of Pro- and Anti-Social Behavior and the Role of Social Cohesion (2017)
Working Paper: On Peer Effects: Contagion of Pro- and Anti-Social Behavior in Charitable Giving and The Role of Social Identity (2016)
Working Paper: On Peer Effects: Behavioral Contagion of (Un)Ethical Behavior and the Role of Social Identity (2015)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:not:notcdx:2018-04

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