Saving Face and Group Identity

Arbeitspapier

Are people willing to sacrifice resources to save one's and others' face? In a laboratory experiment, we study whether individuals forego resources to avoid the public exposure of the least performer in their group. We show that a majority of individuals are willing to pay to preserve not only their self- but also other group members' image. This behavior is frequent even in the absence of group identity. When group identity is more salient, individuals help regardless of whether the least performer is an in-group or an out-group. This suggests that saving others' face is a strong social norm.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 9110

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Design of Experiments: Laboratory, Group Behavior ; Personnel Economics: Compensation and Compensation Methods and Their Effects ; Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification
• Subject: pro-social behavior ; social image ; saving face ; group identity ; experiment

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Eriksson, Tor ; Mao, Lei ; Villeval, Marie Claire
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2015

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/113994
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET