Loss aversion in social image concerns

Konferenzbeitrag

We conduct a laboratory experiment to explore whether loss aversion applies to social image concerns. First, subjects are ranked publicly in a social image relevant domain, an IQ test, to establish own rank as a within-subject reference point. We then induce an exogenous change in within-subject rank and offer scope for lying about it to test whether subjects whose rank exogenously deteriorates (loss in social image) lie more than those who experience an equally-sized gain in rank (gain in social image). We find evidence for loss aversion in social image concerns, however, only for subjects who strongly care about their social image and have reputation to lose (high initial reference point).

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Beiträge zur Jahrestagung des Vereins für Socialpolitik 2020: Gender Economics

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Design of Experiments: Laboratory, Individual ; Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making‡
• Subject: loss aversion ; social image concerns ; lying behavior ; laboratory experiment

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Petrishcheva, Vasilisa ; Riener, Gerhard ; Schildberg-Hörisch, Hannah
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics
• (where): Kiel, Hamburg
• (when): 2020

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/224581
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET