Emulation and the Transformation of Social Norms

Abstract

SUPPOSE WE WANT TO GET OTHER PEOPLE TO DO (OR NOT TO DO) SOMETHING. There are various strategies we might employ. We could take those people’s preferences as given and try to alter their behavior by altering their incentives through sanctions or rewards. Alternatively, we could try to persuade them to alter their preferences. Both of these strategies can be problematic, however. The latter strategy is highly ambitious in one way (changing people is hard), the former in another (it can be hard to make sanctions stick) Show more