The Effects of Status Mobility and Group Identity on Trust

Rémi Suchon and Marie Claire Villeval

No 12086, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: In a laboratory experiment we test the interaction effects of status and group identity on interpersonal trust. Natural group identity is generated by school affiliation. Status (expert or agent) is awarded based on relative performance in a math quiz that is ex ante less favorable to the subjects from one group. We find that "promoted" trustors (individuals from the disadvantaged group that nevertheless achieve the status of expert) trust less both in-group and out-group trustees, compared to the other members of their group. Rather than playing against the effects of natural group identity, status promotion singles-out individuals. In contrast, trustworthiness is not affected by status and there is no evidence that interacting with promoted individuals impacts trust or trustworthiness.

Keywords: experiment; status; group identity; trust; social mobility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C92 D91 J62 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 70 pages
Date: 2019-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-cdm, nep-exp, nep-hpe, nep-ltv and nep-soc
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Published - revised version published in: Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2019, 163, 430-463

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Related works:
Journal Article: The effects of status mobility and group identity on trust (2019)
Working Paper: The effects of status mobility and group identity on trust (2019)
Working Paper: The effects of status mobility and group identity on trust (2019)
Working Paper: The effects of status mobility and group identity on trust (2019)
Working Paper: The effects of status mobility and group identity on trust (2019)
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