全球智库信息集成服务系统(G2TT): DP17315 Toward a General Theory of Peer Effects

G2TT

来源类型	Discussion paper
规范类型	论文
来源ID	DP17315
	DP17315 Toward a General Theory of Peer Effects
	Vincent Boucher; Michelle Rendall; Philip Ushchev; Yves Zenou
发表日期	2022-05-19
出版年	2022
语种	英语
摘要	There is substantial empirical evidence showing that peer effects matter in many activities. The workhorse model in empirical work on peer effects is the linear-in-means (LIM) model, whereby it is assumed that agents are linearly affected by the mean action of their peers. We provide two different theoretical models (based on spillovers and on conformism behavior) that microfound the LIM model and show that they have very different policy implications. We also develop a new general model of peer effects that relaxes the assumptions of linearity and mean peer behavior and that encompasses the spillover, conformist model, and LIM model as special cases. Then, using data on adolescent activities in the U.S., we structurally estimate this model. We find that for GPA, social clubs, self-esteem, and exercise, the spillover effect strongly dominates, while for risky behavior, study effort, fighting, smoking, and drinking, conformism plays a stronger role. We also find that for many activities, individuals do not behave according to the LIM model. We run some counterfactual policies and show that imposing the mean action as an individual social norm is misleading and leads to incorrect policy implications.
主题	Public Economics
关键词	Peer effects Spillovers Conformism Structural estimation Policies
URL	https://cepr.org/publications/dp17315
来源智库	Centre for Economic Policy Research (United Kingdom)
资源类型	智库出版物
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.153/handle/2XGU8XDN/546347
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Vincent Boucher,Michelle Rendall,Philip Ushchev,et al. DP17315 Toward a General Theory of Peer Effects. 2022.