Tra i Leoni: Revealing the preferences behind a superstition

Giovanna M. Invernizzi; Joshua B. Miller; Tommaso Coen; Martin Dufwenberg; Luiz Edgard R. Oliveira

doi:10.1016/j.joep.2020.102324

Tra i Leoni: Revealing the preferences behind a superstition

Giovanna M. Invernizzi
, Joshua B. Miller
, Tommaso Coen
, Martin Dufwenberg
, Luiz Edgard R. Oliveira

Economics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

We examine a superstition for which adherence is nearly universal among its target population. Using a combination of field interventions that involve unsuspecting participants and a lab-style value elicitation, we investigate the nature and strength of peoples’ underlying preferences. While a substantial minority of people are willing to incur a relatively high individual cost in order to adhere to the superstition, for many, adherence is contingent on the behavior of others. Our findings are consistent with the idea that it is the conforming nature of the majority that sustains the false beliefs of the minority.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	102324
Journal	Journal of Economic Psychology
Volume	82
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2020.102324
State	Published - Jan 2021

Keywords

Conformity
Field experiment
Lab-in-the-field
Superstition

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Sociology and Political Science
Applied Psychology
Economics and Econometrics

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10.1016/j.joep.2020.102324

Cite this

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title = "Tra i Leoni: Revealing the preferences behind a superstition",

abstract = "We examine a superstition for which adherence is nearly universal among its target population. Using a combination of field interventions that involve unsuspecting participants and a lab-style value elicitation, we investigate the nature and strength of peoples{\textquoteright} underlying preferences. While a substantial minority of people are willing to incur a relatively high individual cost in order to adhere to the superstition, for many, adherence is contingent on the behavior of others. Our findings are consistent with the idea that it is the conforming nature of the majority that sustains the false beliefs of the minority.",

keywords = "Conformity, Field experiment, Lab-in-the-field, Superstition",

author = "Invernizzi, \{Giovanna M.\} and Miller, \{Joshua B.\} and Tommaso Coen and Martin Dufwenberg and Oliveira, \{Luiz Edgard R.\}",

note = "Funding Information: This work does not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco or the Federal Reserve System and was completed prior to Oliveira's affiliation. We are grateful to Bocconi University, which provided the funding. This draft has benefitted from helpful comments and suggestions from Douglas Bernheim, Gary Charness, Filip Fidanoski, Aidin Hajikhameneh, Michael McBride, Stuart Vyse, and referees. We would also like to thank seminar participants at University of Southern Denmark, UC Santa Barbara, Stanford Behavioral Lunch, University of New South Wales, Renmin University, as well as conference participants at 1st CoCoLab Workshop, University of C{\^o}te d'Azur, Economic Science Association World Meeting, and the Southwest Experimental and Behavioral Economics conference (SWEBE). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2021",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1016/j.joep.2020.102324",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "82",

journal = "Journal of Economic Psychology",

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publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

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AU - Invernizzi, Giovanna M.

AU - Miller, Joshua B.

AU - Coen, Tommaso

AU - Dufwenberg, Martin

AU - Oliveira, Luiz Edgard R.

N1 - Funding Information: This work does not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco or the Federal Reserve System and was completed prior to Oliveira's affiliation. We are grateful to Bocconi University, which provided the funding. This draft has benefitted from helpful comments and suggestions from Douglas Bernheim, Gary Charness, Filip Fidanoski, Aidin Hajikhameneh, Michael McBride, Stuart Vyse, and referees. We would also like to thank seminar participants at University of Southern Denmark, UC Santa Barbara, Stanford Behavioral Lunch, University of New South Wales, Renmin University, as well as conference participants at 1st CoCoLab Workshop, University of Côte d'Azur, Economic Science Association World Meeting, and the Southwest Experimental and Behavioral Economics conference (SWEBE). Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2021/1

Y1 - 2021/1

N2 - We examine a superstition for which adherence is nearly universal among its target population. Using a combination of field interventions that involve unsuspecting participants and a lab-style value elicitation, we investigate the nature and strength of peoples’ underlying preferences. While a substantial minority of people are willing to incur a relatively high individual cost in order to adhere to the superstition, for many, adherence is contingent on the behavior of others. Our findings are consistent with the idea that it is the conforming nature of the majority that sustains the false beliefs of the minority.

AB - We examine a superstition for which adherence is nearly universal among its target population. Using a combination of field interventions that involve unsuspecting participants and a lab-style value elicitation, we investigate the nature and strength of peoples’ underlying preferences. While a substantial minority of people are willing to incur a relatively high individual cost in order to adhere to the superstition, for many, adherence is contingent on the behavior of others. Our findings are consistent with the idea that it is the conforming nature of the majority that sustains the false beliefs of the minority.

KW - Conformity

KW - Field experiment

KW - Lab-in-the-field

KW - Superstition

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Tra i Leoni: Revealing the preferences behind a superstition

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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