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Social Identity and Preferences

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Author Info
Daniel J. Benjamin
James J. Choi
A. Joshua Strickland

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Abstract

We provide evidence that time and risk preference norms tied to social identities help shape observed U.S. demographic patterns in economic outcomes. We identify the marginal effect of norms by measuring how laboratory subjects’ choices change when an aspect of social identity is made salient. We find that when ethnic identity is salient to Asian-American subjects, they make more patient choices. When we make race salient to black subjects, non-immigrant blacks (but not immigrant blacks) make more risk-averse choices. Making gender identity salient causes choices to conform to gender norms the subject believes are relatively more common.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 13309.

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Date of creation: Aug 2007
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:13309

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C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General

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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Meier, Stephan & Sprenger, Charles, 2008. "Discounting Financial Literacy: Time Preferences and Participation in Financial Education Programs," IZA Discussion Papers 3507, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  2. McLeish, Kendra N. & Oxoby, Robert J., 2008. "Social Interactions and the Salience of Social Identity," IZA Discussion Papers 3554, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  3. Maria Knoth Humlum & Kristin J. Kleinjans & Helena Skyt Nielsen, 2007. "An Economic Analysis of Identity and Career Choice," IZA Discussion Papers 3120, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Fernando Aguiar & Pablo Branas-Garza & Maria Paz Espinosa & Luis M. Miller, 2007. "Personal Identity in the Dictator Game," Jena Economic Research Papers in Economics 2007-007, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Max-Planck-Institute of Economics, Thueringer Universitaets- und Landesbibliothek. [Downloadable!]
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