On the Stability of Norms and Norm-Following Propensity: A Cross-Cultural Panel Study with Adolescents

Abstract

Norm-based accounts of social behavior are increasingly common in economics. In such accounts, behavior is seen as reflecting tradeoffs between maximization of own consumption utility and conformity to social norms. Theories of norm-following tend to assume that a) there exists a single, stable, commonly known injunctive social norm for a given choice setting and b) each person has a stable propensity to follow social norms. We collect panel data on 1468 participants aged 11-15 years in Belfast, Northern Ireland and Bogotá, Colombia in which we measure norms and norm-following propensity twice at 10 weeks apart, and we show how to exploit variation in shared normative perceptions to extend our understanding of the extent to which norms are shared, stable, and can be predicted to change. Average norm ratings are consistent with norms elicited from other adult populations, but there is significant heterogeneity in normative perceptions that is concealed when only looking at aggregated norm measurements. We also show that individuals’ perceptions of norms enjoy some stability over time, and that a major predictor of change in normative perception comes from dissimilarity to others in one’s network. Perhaps most importantly, we demonstrate how researchers might engage with this heterogeneity in normative perceptions by identifying classes of norm perceptions (e.g. a deontological equality norm or a consequentialist generosity norm) and asking how those classes can be used to deepen our understanding of norm emergence and norm change.

Keywords: C93, D01, D91

JEL Classification: norms, experimental economics, heterogeneity