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The asymmetric effect of narratives on prosocial behavior

Author

Listed:
  • Adrian Hillenbrand
  • 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 study how positive narratives (stories in favor of a prosocial action) and negative narratives (stories in favor of a selfish action) influence prosocial behavior in a series of lab and online experiments with more than 1500 subjects. We find that, both positive and negative narratives are effective at changing how actions are perceived. However, while positive narratives increase prosocial behavior, negative narratives do not move aggregate behavior and — if anything — lead to slightly more prosocial behavior. Our results indicate that this may be due to the fact that when following a negative narrative an individual is viewed as influenceable — something that appears to be undesirable. Taken together, our study suggests that positive and negative narratives are not just the flip sides of the same coin.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Adrian Hillenbrand & Eugenio Verrina, 2022. "The asymmetric effect of narratives on prosocial behavior," Post-Print hal-04829173, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04829173
    DOI: 10.1016/j.geb.2022.06.008
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    Cited by:

    1. Fries, Tilman, 2024. "Signaling motives in lying games," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 338-376.
    2. Colzani, Paola & Michailidou, Georgia & Santos-Pinto, Luis, 2023. "Experimental evidence on the transmission of honesty and dishonesty: A stairway to heaven and a highway to hell," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    3. Feess, Eberhard & Schilling, Thomas & Timofeyev, Yuriy, 2023. "Misreporting in teams with individual decision making: The impact of information and communication," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 509-532.
    4. Alice Soldà & Marie Claire Villeval, 2025. "Narratives as a Persuasion Tool in Performance Appraisals," Working Papers 2505, Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon St-Étienne (GATE Lyon St-Étienne), Université de Lyon.
    5. Schneider, Florian H. & Schonger, Martin & Schurtenberger, Ivo, 2025. "How malleable is the aversion to stigmatized work?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    6. Bilancini, Ennio & Boncinelli, Leonardo & Guarnieri, Pietro & Spadoni, Lorenzo, 2023. "Delaying and motivating decisions in the (Bully) dictator game," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 107(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making

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