Naïve Beliefs and the Multiplicity of Social Norms
Abstract
In a signalling model of conformity, we demonstrate that naïve observers, those that take actions at face value, constrain the set of actions that can possibly be social norms. With rational observers many actions can be norms, but with naïve observers only actions close to that preferred by the ideal type can be norms. We suggest, therefore, that the naïvety or inexperience of observers is an important determinant of norms and how they evolve.Download Info
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Paper provided by University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics in its series Working Papers in Economics with number 488.Length: 13 pages
Date of creation: 18 Feb 2011
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:hhs:gunwpe:0488
Contact details of provider:
Postal: Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, Box 640, SE 405 30 GÖTEBORG, Sweden
Phone: 031-773 10 00
Web page: http://www.handels.gu.se/econ/
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Related research
Keywords: Signalling; Conformity; Social Norms; Naïve Beliefs;Other versions of this item:
- Amrish Patel & Edward Cartwright, 2012. "Naïve Beliefs and the Multiplicity of Social Norms," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 168(2), pages 280-289, June.
- D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
- D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search, Learning, and Information
- Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Social and Economic Stratification
This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:
- NEP-ALL-2011-02-26 (All new papers)
- NEP-EVO-2011-02-26 (Evolutionary Economics)
- NEP-MIC-2011-02-26 (Microeconomics)
- NEP-NET-2011-02-26 (Network Economics)
- NEP-SOC-2011-02-26 (Social Norms & Social Capital)
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