Rhetoric matters: A social norms explanation for the anomaly of framing

Ample evidence shows that certain words or ways of phrasing things can cause us to change our preferences. We demonstrate one mechanism for why this happens - “framing” evokes norms which then influence choice. We use a laboratory study to test the impact of describing a series of dictator games wit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Games and economic behavior Vol. 116; pp. 158 - 178
Main Authors: Chang, Daphne, Chen, Roy, Krupka, Erin
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier Inc 01.07.2019
Subjects:
Altruism
Framing
Norms
Social identity
A13
Norms
C91
D90
D39
Altruism
Framing
Social identity
ISSN:0899-8256, 1090-2473
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Ample evidence shows that certain words or ways of phrasing things can cause us to change our preferences. We demonstrate one mechanism for why this happens - “framing” evokes norms which then influence choice. We use a laboratory study to test the impact of describing a series of dictator games with either politically charged tax- or neutrally-framed language. Subjects' political identities interact with these frames, causing changes in both norms and choices. Framing makes Democrats prefer equalized outcomes, and Republicans reluctant to redistribute payments even when it leaves them disadvantaged.
ISSN:0899-8256
1090-2473
DOI:10.1016/j.geb.2019.04.011