Social Identity and Preferences

Benjamin, Daniel J.; Choi, James J.; Strickland, A.

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Social Identity and Preferences

NBER Working Paper No. w13309

30 Pages Posted: 10 Aug 2007 Last revised: 15 May 2022

See all articles by Daniel J. Benjamin

Daniel J. Benjamin

USC, Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR); Anderson School of Management; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Human Genetics Department, David Geffen School of Medicine

James J. Choi

Yale School of Management; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

A. Strickland

affiliation not provided to SSRN

There are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: August 2007

Abstract

Social identities prescribe behaviors for people. We identify the marginal behavioral effect of these norms on discount rates and risk aversion by measuring how laboratory subjects' choices change when an aspect of social identity is made salient. When we make ethnic identity salient to Asian-American subjects, they make more patient choices. When we make racial identity salient to black subjects, non-immigrant blacks (but not immigrant blacks) make more patient choices. Making gender identity salient has no effect on intertemporal or risk choices.

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Benjamin, Daniel J. and Benjamin, Daniel J. and Choi, James J. and Strickland, A., Social Identity and Preferences (August 2007). NBER Working Paper No. w13309, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1005911