Do Advisors' Status and Identity Shape Adherence to Advice? *

Lata Gangadharan (), Pushkar Maitra (), Joseph Vecci (), Chellattan Veettil () and Marie Villeval ()
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Lata Gangadharan: Monash university
Pushkar Maitra: Monash university
Joseph Vecci: GU - Göteborgs Universitet = University of Gothenburg
Chellattan Veettil: IRRI - International Rice Research Institute [Inde] - IRRI - International Rice Research Institute [Philippines] - CGIAR - Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR]
Marie Villeval: GATE Lyon Saint-Étienne - Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon - Saint-Etienne - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne - EM - EMLyon Business School - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

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Abstract: This study examines whether adherence to advice depends on an advisor's identity and status beyond message content. Using a survey experiment with over 3000 farmers in India, we find that individuals are more likely to follow advice in a social dilemma game when it comes from high-status or in-group advisors, even when the advice diverges from prevailing norms. Admired role models can attenuate the influence of status and identity, though their beneficial effect is not universal. Our experimental findings align with evidence from an agricultural advisory program involving the same participant sample, highlighting the broader real-world relevance of these patterns.

Keywords: Survey experiment; Group identity; Status; Social learning; Advice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-11-22
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05378062v1
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