Date: 2015
Type: Article
Time lag and communication in changing unpopular norms
PLoS ONE, 2015, Vol. 10, e0124715
GËRXHANI, Klarita, BRUGGEMAN, Jeroen, Time lag and communication in changing unpopular norms, PLoS ONE, 2015, Vol. 10, e0124715
- https://hdl.handle.net/1814/37705
Retrieved from Cadmus, EUI Research Repository
Humans often coordinate their social lives through norms. When a large majority of people are dissatisfied with an existing norm, it seems obvious that they will change it. Often, however, this does not occur. We investigate how a time lag between individual support of a norm change and the change itself hinders such change, related to the critical mass of supporters needed to effectuate the change, and the (im)possibility of communicating about it. To isolate these factors, we utilize a laboratory experiment. As predicted, we find unambiguous effects of time lag on precluding norm change; a higher threshold for a critical mass does so as well. Communication facilitates choosing superior norms but it does not necessarily lead to norm change when the uncertainty on whether there will be a norm change in the future is high. Communication seems to help coordination on actions at the present but not the future. Hence, the uncertainty driven by time lag makes individuals choose the status quo, here the unpopular norm.
Additional information:
Published: April 16, 2015
Cadmus permanent link: https://hdl.handle.net/1814/37705
Full-text via DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124715
ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
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