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Incentives for Conformity and Anticonformity

Author

Listed:
  • Fabian Dvorak
  • Urs Fischbacher
  • Katrin Schmelz

Abstract

We study how social evaluation affects conformity and anticonformity in theory and in an experiment. In theory, we show that negative social evaluation, i.e., potential punishment, creates incentives for conformity. Positive social evaluation, i.e., potential reward, creates incentives for anticonformity. In a laboratory experiment, we investigate the effect of these incentives in three domains: judgments in the knowledge domain, subjective arts preferences, and decisions in a creativity-related task. We rely on a new design in which we compare choices under social influence with predictions based on choices without social influence using transitivity. The experimental results confirm the theoretical predictions.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabian Dvorak & Urs Fischbacher & Katrin Schmelz, 2020. "Incentives for Conformity and Anticonformity," TWI Research Paper Series 122, Thurgauer Wirtschaftsinstitut, Universität Konstanz.
    • Handle: RePEc:twi:respas:0122
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

    conformity; creativity; social learning; institutions;
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