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Preference conformism: An experiment

Author

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  • Fatas, Enrique
  • Hargreaves Heap, Shaun P.
  • Rojo Arjona, David
Abstract
This paper reports on an experiment designed to test whether people's preferences change to become more alike. Such preference conformism would be worrying for an economics that takes individual preferences as given (‘de gustibus es non disputandum’). So the test is important. But it is also difficult. People can behave alike for many reasons and the key to the design of our test, therefore, is the control of the other possible reasons for observing apparent peer effects. We find evidence of preference conformism in the aggregate and at the individual level (where there is heterogeneity). It appears also to be more consistent with Festinger's epistemic account of why it might occur than that of Social Identity Theory.

Suggested Citation

  • Fatas, Enrique & Hargreaves Heap, Shaun P. & Rojo Arjona, David, 2018. "Preference conformism: An experiment," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 71-82.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:105:y:2018:i:c:p:71-82
    DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2018.02.009
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    11. Shoji, Masahiro, 2020. "Guilt and Antisocial Conformism: Experimental Evidence from Bangladesh," MPRA Paper 100735, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Heap, Shaun P. Hargreaves & Matakos, Konstantinos & Weber, Nina Sophie, 2020. "Non-selfish behaviour: Are social preferences or social norms revealed in distribution decisions?," SocArXiv g4c2m, Center for Open Science.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Conformism; Endogenous preferences;

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty

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