Peer effects and social preferences in voluntary cooperation

Simon Gaechter () and Christian Thoeni ()
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Simon Gaechter: School of Economics, University of Nottingham
Christian Thoeni: Centre Walras-Pareto, University of Lausanne
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Simon Gächter and Christian Thöni

No 2014-03, Discussion Papers from The Centre for Decision Research and Experimental Economics, School of Economics, University of Nottingham

Abstract: Social preferences and social influence effects ("peer effects") are well documented, but little is known about how peers shape social preferences. Settings where social preferences matter are often situations where peer effects are likely too. In a gift-exchange experiment with independent payoffs between two agents we find causal evidence for peer effects. Efforts are positively correlated but with a kink: agents follow a low-performing but not a high-performing peer. This contradicts major theories of social preferences which predict that efforts are unrelated, or negatively related. Some theories allow for positively-related efforts but cannot explain most observations. Conformism, norm following and social esteem are candidate explanations.

Keywords: social preferences, voluntary cooperation, peer effects, reflection problem, gift-exchange; conformism; social norms; social esteem, experiments. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cbe, nep-cdm, nep-exp, nep-gth, nep-lab, nep-soc and nep-ure
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Peer Effects and Social Preferences in Voluntary Cooperation (2014)
Working Paper: Peer Effects and Social Preferences in Voluntary Cooperation (2012)
Working Paper: Peer Effects and Social Preferences in Voluntary Cooperation (2011)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:not:notcdx:2014-03

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