IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/aea/jeclit/v62y2024i1p115-54.html

From Outcome-Based to Language-Based Preferences

Author

Listed:
  • Valerio Capraro
  • Joseph Y. Halpern
  • Matjaž Perc

Abstract

We review the literature on models that try to explain human behavior in social interactions described by normal-form games with monetary payoffs. We start by covering social and moral preferences. We then focus on the growing body of research showing that people react to the language with which actions are described, especially when it activates moral concerns. We conclude by arguing that behavioral economics is in the midst of a paradigm shift toward language-based preferences, which will require an exploration of new models and experimental setups.

Suggested Citation

  • Valerio Capraro & Joseph Y. Halpern & Matjaž Perc, 2024. "From Outcome-Based to Language-Based Preferences," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 62(1), pages 115-154, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:jeclit:v:62:y:2024:i:1:p:115-54
    DOI: 10.1257/jel.20221613
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.aeaweb.org/doi/10.1257/jel.20221613
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.aeaweb.org/doi/10.1257/jel.20221613.ds
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to AEA members and institutional subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1257/jel.20221613?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Valerio Capraro, 2025. "Evaluation 2 of "Ends versus Means: Kantians, Utilitarians, and Moral Decisions"," The Unjournal Evaluations 2025-52, The Unjournal.
    2. Krellner, Marcus & Han, The Anh, 2025. "Words are not wind - how public joint commitment and reputation solve the Prisoner's Dilemma," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 506(C).
    3. Zhang, Jiliang & Wang, Yuhang & Zhou, Yinzuo & Zhang, Yi-Cheng & Meng, Fanyuan, 2025. "Threshold-based punishment mechanism in evolutionary public goods games on random hypergraphs," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 200(P2).
    4. Ingela Alger & José Ignacio Rivero-Wildemauwe, 2024. "Doing the right thing (or not) in a lemons-like situation: on the role of social preferences and Kantian moral concerns," Working Papers hal-04578697, HAL.
    5. Glaubitz, Alina & Fu, Feng, 2026. "The other side of the coin: Recipient norms and their impact on indirect reciprocity and cooperation," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 513(C).
    6. Bašić, Zvonimir & Verrina, Eugenio, 2024. "Personal norms — and not only social norms — shape economic behavior," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 239(C).
    7. Yue, Hongyu & Xiong, Xiaojin & Feng, Minyu & Szolnoki, Attila, 2025. "Coevolution of relationship-driven cooperation under recommendation protocol on multiplex networks," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    8. Guo, Tian & Wang, Xinyu & Song, Zhao & Mi, Zichuan & Shen, Chen, 2025. "Simple exit encouragement does not always enhance cooperation," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 201(P3).
    9. Chen, Hao & Cui, Weicheng, 2026. "Intergroup-based public goods games in complex networks with leader-driven other-regarding preferences," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 508(C).
    10. Galdikiene, Laura & Jaraite, Jurate & Kajackaite, Agne, 2024. "Effects of cooperative and uncooperative narratives on trust during the COVID-19 pandemic: Experimental evidence," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    11. Alger, Ingela & Rivero-Wildemauwe, José Ignacio, 2024. "Does a veil of ignorance trigger the inner Kantian in us?," IAST Working Papers 24-161, Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse (IAST), revised Nov 2025.
    12. Ross, Johannes & Kienle, Ann-Katrin & Nicklisch, Andreas, 2024. "Sharing the cake during a crisis: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on intertemporal altruism and efficiency concerns," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    13. Pan, Na & Zeng, Ziyan & Zhang, Yuji & Feng, Minyu, 2024. "Defined benefit pension plan inhibit the emergence of cooperation in the public goods games," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 477(C).
    14. Xiong, Xiaojin & Yao, Yichao & Feng, Minyu & Chica, Manuel, 2024. "Adaptive payoff-driven interaction in networked snowdrift games," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    15. Capraro, Valerio & Rodriguez-Lara, Ismael, 2025. "Moral preferences in ultimatum and impunity games," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    16. Boncinelli, Leonardo & Dallinger, Luzie & Distefano, Tiziano, 2025. "C-frame thinking: Embedding behavioral economics into ecological economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    17. Valerio Capraro, 2024. "Human behaviour through a LENS: How Linguistic content triggers Emotions and Norms and determines Strategy choices," Papers 2403.15293, arXiv.org.
    18. Yue, Hongyu & Xiong, Xiaojin & Feng, Minyu & Szolnoki, Attila, 2025. "Dynamic evolution of cooperation based on adaptive reputation threshold and game transition," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 199(P1).
    19. Huang, Linya & Zhang, Liming & Huang, Changwei & Han, Wenchen, 2025. "Synergy effect of strategy diversity and persistence promotes cooperation," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    20. Koster, Paul R., 2025. "Income inequality and social welfare: Implications for the indirect effects of transport policies," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 182-197.
    21. An, Tianbo & Zhang, Ran & Zhao, Jian & Zhang, Huizhen & Wang, Zhen, 2026. "Evolutionary multigame with perception competition between conformists and imitators," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 510(C).
    22. Wang, Xiaoyue & He, Zhixue & Chen, Ju & Zhang, Mingjuan & Shi, Lei, 2025. "Balancing peer preference and payoff pursuit in migration shapes social cohesion within unequal endowment populations," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    23. Hu, Zhengyang & Zhu, Yuying & Zhao, Dawei & Xia, Chengyi, 2026. "The higher-order networked N-player trust game driven by reputation and reinforcement learning," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 202(P2).
    24. Ennio Bilancini & Leonardo Boncinelli & Eugenio Vicario, 2024. "AI-powered Chatbots: Effective Communication Styles for Sustainable Development Goals," Papers 2407.01057, arXiv.org.
    25. Liu, Aixin & Li, Haitao & Wang, Lin & Chen, Guanrong, 2026. "Incentive-based control of networked evolutionary coordination games under asynchronous best-response dynamics," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 509(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C70 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - General
    • C90 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - General
    • D11 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Theory
    • D90 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - General
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:aea:jeclit:v:62:y:2024:i:1:p:115-54. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Michael P. Albert (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aeaaaea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.