Arbeitspapier

How optimistic and pessimistic narratives about COVID-19 impact economic behavior

Politicians, scientists and journalists have aired vastly different assessments of the COVID-19 pandemic, ranging from rather optimistic to very pessimistic ones. In this paper we investigate how narratives conveying different assessments of the pandemic impact economic behavior. In a controlled experiment with incentivized economic games we find that subjects behave more risk averse and less patiently when confronted with a pessimistic compared to an optimistic or balanced narrative. Further we find that narratives change subjects' expectations about the pandemic and the stock market. Hence our experiment provides causal evidence for an impact of narratives on fundamental determinants of household behavior.

Sprache
Englisch

Erschienen in
Series: ECONtribute Discussion Paper ; No. 091

Klassifikation
Wirtschaft
Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty: General
Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making‡
Macro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on the Macro Economy‡
Behavioral Finance: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making in Financial Markets‡
Thema
Narrative Economics
Risk Aversion
Patience
Expectations

Ereignis
Geistige Schöpfung
(wer)
Harrs, Sören
Müller, Lara Marie
Rockenbach, Bettina
Ereignis
Veröffentlichung
(wer)
University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Reinhard Selten Institute (RSI)
(wo)
Bonn and Cologne
(wann)
2021

Handle
Letzte Aktualisierung
10.03.2025, 11:41 MEZ

Datenpartner

Dieses Objekt wird bereitgestellt von:
ZBW - Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften - Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft. Bei Fragen zum Objekt wenden Sie sich bitte an den Datenpartner.

Objekttyp

  • Arbeitspapier

Beteiligte

  • Harrs, Sören
  • Müller, Lara Marie
  • Rockenbach, Bettina
  • University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Reinhard Selten Institute (RSI)

Entstanden

  • 2021

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