What in the word! The scope for the effect of word choice on economic behavior

Katherine Farrow (), Gilles Grolleau () and Naoufel Mzoughi
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Katherine Farrow: EconomiX - EconomiX - UPN - Université Paris Nanterre - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

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Abstract: We propose that words can be an object of systematic study in the field of economics and outline an approach to the study of word choice in behavioral economics. We consider words as strategic instruments of influence and review how they can impact behaviors in several subtle and distinctive ways, namely through their capacity to elicit affect, support identity and social belonging, evoke linguistic associations, and generate bias arising from variations in fluency. We provide a variety of examples to illustrate the behavioral impacts of words through these mechanisms and provide practical recommendations regarding how words can be harnessed by policymakers to reach socially desirable goals through a consideration of how word-related behavioral anomalies shape incentives.

Keywords: behavior; words; associations; exclusion; stereotypes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-01706921v1
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

Published in Kyklos, 2018, 71 (4), pp.557-580. ⟨10.1111/kykl.12186⟩

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Journal Article: What in the Word! The Scope for the Effect of Word Choice on Economic Behavior (2018)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01706921

DOI: 10.1111/kykl.12186

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