Working Paper: NBER ID: w29168
Authors: Leonardo Bursztyn; David Y. Yang
Abstract: People’s perceptions about others play an important role in shaping their own attitudes and behaviors, as well as social norms more broadly. This review presents a meta-analysis of the recent empirical literature that examines perceptions about others in the field. We document a number of stylized facts. Misperceptions about others are widespread, asymmetric, much larger when about out-group members, and positively associated with one’s own attitudes. Experimental treatments to re-calibrate misperceptions generally work as intended; they sometimes lead to meaningful changes in behaviors, though this often occurs only immediately after the treatments. We discuss different conceptual frameworks that could explain the origin, persistence, and rigidity of misperceptions about others. We point to several directions for future research.
Keywords: misperceptions; social norms; behavioral change
JEL Codes: D8; D84
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| societal beliefs (Z13) | individual perceptions (D91) |
| experimental treatments (C90) | perceptions (D84) |
| qualitative and narrative treatments (C21) | larger effects (C92) |
| misperceptions (D83) | behaviors (C92) |
| perceptions (D84) | behavior changes (D91) |