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Personal norms — and not only social norms — shape economic behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Zvonimir Bašić
  • Eugenio Verrina

    (GATE Lyon Saint-Étienne - Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon - Saint-Etienne - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne - EM - EMLyon Business School - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

We propose a simple utility framework and design a novel two-part experiment to study the relevance of personal norms across various economic games and settings. We show that personal norms — together with social norms and monetary payoff — are highly predictive of individuals’ behavior. Moreover, they are: (i) distinct from social norms across a series of economic contexts; (ii) robust to an exogenous increase in the salience of social norms; and (iii) complementary to social norms in predicting behavior. Our findings support personal norms as a key driver of economic behavior.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Zvonimir Bašić & Eugenio Verrina, 2024. "Personal norms — and not only social norms — shape economic behavior," Post-Print hal-04828801, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04828801
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2024.105255
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    Cited by:

    1. Henning Hermes & Marina Krauß & Philipp Lergetporer & Frauke Peter & Simon Wiederhold, 2024. "The Causal Impact of Gender Norms on Mothers’ Employment Attitudes and Expectations," CESifo Working Paper Series 11572, CESifo.
    2. Behnk, Sascha & Hao, Li & Reuben, Ernesto, 2022. "Shifting normative beliefs: On why groups behave more antisocially than individuals," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    3. Michael Kurschilgen, 2023. "Moral awareness polarizes people’s fairness judgments," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 61(2), pages 339-364, August.
    4. Mundaca, Luis & Wamsler, Christine, 2025. "Engaging high-income earners in climate action: Policy insights from survey experiments," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    5. Kölle, Felix & Quercia, Simone, 2021. "The influence of empirical and normative expectations on cooperation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 691-703.
    6. Marco Catola & Simone D'Alessandro & Pietro Guarnieri & Veronica Pizziol, 2021. "Personal and social norms in a multilevel public goods experiment," Discussion Papers 2021/272, Dipartimento di Economia e Management (DEM), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
    7. Merguei, Nitzan & Strobel, Martin & Vostroknutov, Alexander, 2022. "Moral opportunism as a consequence of decision making under uncertainty," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 624-642.
    8. Bogliacino, Francesco & Aycinena, Diego & Kimbrough, Erik, 2024. "Eliciting normative expectations with coordination games allowing for neutral report," SocArXiv y3fha, Center for Open Science.
    9. Marco Catola & Simone D'Alessandro & Pietro Guarnieri & Veronica Pizziol, 2021. "Personal norms in the online public good game," Discussion Papers 2021/276, Dipartimento di Economia e Management (DEM), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
    10. Lergetporer, Philipp & Rittmannsberger, Thomas & Werner, Katharina & Zeidler, Helen, 2025. "Anchoring Effects in the Elicitation of Multidimensional Beliefs: Evidence from a Representative Survey Experiment," IZA Discussion Papers 17931, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Henning Hermes & Marina Krauß & Philipp Lergetporer & Frauke Peter & Simon Wiederhold, 2025. "The Causal Impact of Gender Norms on Mothers’ Employment Attitudes and Expectations," Working Papers 2024-024, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    12. Lago, Manuel E. & Samahita, Margaret & Doyle, Orla, 2025. "Unraveling gender norms: Social and personal norms in the preferential promotion of women," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 115(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D01 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Behavior: Underlying Principles
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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