Are biases contagious? The influence of communication on motivated beliefs

Arbeitspapier

This paper examines the potential reinforcement of motivated beliefs when individuals with identical biases communicate. We propose a controlled online experiment that allows to manipulate belief biases and the communication environment. We find that communication, even among like-minded individuals, diminishes motivated beliefs if it takes place in an environment without previously declared external opinions. In the presence of external plural opinions, however, communication does not reduce but rather aggravates motivated beliefs. Our results indicate a potential drawback of the plurality of opinions-it may create communication environments wherein motivated beliefs not only persist but also become contagious within social networks.

Angaben zum Objekt

• Sprache: Englisch

Verweise und Beziehungen

• Erschienen in: Series: Würzburg Economic Papers ; No. 109

Klassifikation und Themen

• Klassifikation: Wirtschaft ; Design of Experiments: Laboratory, Individual ; Design of Experiments: Laboratory, Group Behavior ; Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
• Thema: Belief bias ; Social interaction ; Motivated beliefs

Beteiligte, Orts- und Zeitangaben

• Ereignis: Geistige Schöpfung
• (wer): Grunewald, Andreas ; Klockmann, Victor ; von Schenk, Alicia ; von Siemens, Ferdinand
• Ereignis: Veröffentlichung
• (wer): University of Würzburg, Department of Economics
• (wo): Würzburg
• (wann): 2024

Weitere Informationen

• DOI: doi:10.25972/OPUS-34893
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/282999
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-348936
• Letzte Aktualisierung: 10.03.2025, 11:42 MEZ