Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/58909 
Year of Publication: 
2012
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 6277
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Substantial evidence suggests the behavioral relevance of social preferences and also the importance of social influence effects (peer effects). Yet, little is known about how peer effects and social preferences are related. In a three-person gift-exchange experiment we find causal evidence for peer effects in voluntary cooperation: agents' efforts are positively related despite the absence of material payoff interdependencies. We confront this result with major theories of social preferences which predict that efforts are unrelated, or negatively related. Some theories allow for positively-related efforts but cannot explain most observations. Conformism, norm following and considerations of social esteem are candidate explanations.
Subjects: 
social preferences
voluntary cooperation
peer effects
reflection problem
gift exchange
conformism
social norms
social esteem
JEL: 
C92
D03
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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