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

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  • Leonardo Bursztyn
  • Robert Jensen

Abstract

Many people care about how they are perceived by those around them. A number of recent field experiments in economics have found that such social image concerns can have powerful effects on a range of behaviors. In this paper, 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, 2016. "Social Image and Economic Behavior in the Field: Identifying, Understanding and Shaping Social Pressure," NBER Working Papers 23013, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:23013
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    More about this item

    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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