Social Identity and Preferences

Daniel Benjamin, James Choi and A. Joshua Strickland

American Economic Review, 2010, vol. 100, issue 4, 1913-28

Abstract: Social identities prescribe behaviors for people. We identify the marginal behavioral effect of these norms on discount rates and risk aversion by measuring how laboratory subjects' choices change when an aspect of social identity is made salient. When we make ethnic identity salient to Asian-American subjects, they make more patient choices. When we make racial identity salient to black subjects, non-immigrant blacks (but not immigrant blacks) make more patient choices. Making gender identity salient has no effect on intertemporal or risk choices. (JEL D81, J15, J16, Z13 )

JEL-codes: D81 J15 J16 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
Note: DOI: 10.1257/aer.100.4.1913
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (289)

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Working Paper: Social Identity and Preferences (2008)
Working Paper: Social Identity and Preferences (2007)
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