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Social Image and Economic Behavior in the Field: Identifying, Understanding, and Shaping Social Pressure

Author

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  • Leonardo Bursztyn

    (Department of Economics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637)

  • Robert Jensen

    (Department of Business Economics and Public Policy, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104)

Abstract

Many people care about how they are perceived by those around them. Several recent field experiments in economics have found that such social image concerns can have powerful effects on a range of behaviors. In this article, we first review this recent literature aimed at identifying social image concerns or social pressure. We then highlight and discuss two important areas that have been comparatively less well explored in this literature: understanding social pressure, including the underlying mechanisms, and whether such pressure can be shaped or influenced.

Suggested Citation

  • Leonardo Bursztyn & Robert Jensen, 2017. "Social Image and Economic Behavior in the Field: Identifying, Understanding, and Shaping Social Pressure," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 9(1), pages 131-153, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:anr:reveco:v:9:y:2017:p:131-153
    DOI: 10.1146/annurev-economics-063016-103625
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    image; social pressure; social interactions; norms;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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