From Extreme to Mainstream: The Erosion of Social Norms

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bursztyn, Leonardo; Egorov, Georgy; Fiorin, Stefano
• 署名单位: University of Chicago; National Bureau of Economic Research; Northwestern University; Bocconi University; Bocconi University
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0002-8282
• DOI: 10.1257/aer.20171175
• 发表日期: 2020
• 页码: 3522-3548
• 关键词: field experiment; altruism; pressure; origins; trust; image; women; games

摘要

Social norms, usually persistent, can change quickly when new public information arrives, such as a surprising election outcome. People may become more inclined to express views or take actions previously perceived as stigmatized and may judge others less negatively for doing so. We examine this possibility using two experiments. We first show via revealed preference experiments that Donald Trump's rise in popularity and eventual victory increased individuals' willingness to publicly express xenophobic views. We then show that individuals are sanctioned less negatively if they publicly expressed a xenophobic view in an environment where that view is more popular.