Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Series: Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers
Creation-Date: 2016-04-05
Number: 16-023/I
Author-Name: David Smerdon
Author-Workplace-Name: University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Author-Name: Theo Offerman
Author-Workplace-Name: University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Author-Name: Uri Gneezy
Author-Workplace-Name: UC San Diego, United States
Title: Everybody's doing it:  On the Emergence and Persistence of Bad Social Norms
Abstract: Social norms permeate society across a wide range of issues and are important to understanding how societies function. In this paper we concentrate on 'bad' social norms - those that are inefficient or even damaging to a group. This paper explains how bad social norms evolve and persist; our theory proposes a testable model of bad norms based on anecdotal evidence from real-world examples. We then experimentally test the model and find empirical support to its main predictions. Central to the model is the role of a person's social identity in encouraging compliance to a norm. The strength of this identity is found to have a positive effect on bad norm persistence. Additionally, while the size of the social group does not have a long run effect, smaller groups are more likely to break a bad norm in the short term. Furthermore, the results suggest that both anonymous communication and increasing information about others' payoffs are promising intervention policies to counter bad norms.
Classification-JEL: D03, Z130, C92
Keywords: Social norms, Experiment, Identity, Behavioral Economics
File-Url: https://papers.tinbergen.nl/16023.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 5386128 bytes
Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:20160023