CeDEx Seminar - Urs Fischbacher (University of Konstanz)

Incentives for conformity and disconformity

There is abundant evidence for conformity but there are also situations in which people try to set themselves apart. We investigate how punishment and reward affect these behaviors. We study this question in three domains: how people are influenced in their judgements, in their preferences and in a creative task. Using an experimental technique that allows identifying in what direction social influence affects behavior, we find that conformity is strong in almost all conditions, but disconformity exists mainly in the creative task. Punishment increases conformity. Reward decreases conformity and creates some disconformity.