From outcome-based to language-based preferences

Abstract

We review the literature on models that try to explain human behavior in social interactions described by normal-form games with monetary payoffs. We start by covering social and moral preferences. We then focus on the growing body of research showing that people react to the language in which actions are described, especially when it activates moral concerns. We conclude by arguing that behavioral economics is in the midst of a paradigm shift towards language-based preferences, which will require an exploration of new models and experimental setups.

Self-focused or other-focused: The influence of acknowledgment type on subsequent donation desires

“…Therefore, there existed differences in the language structure among the gratitude letters of the three groups. To eliminate the influence of language structure (Capraro et al, 2022 ), the current research adopted consistent linguistic expressions on the gratitude letters of the three groups in study 4.…”

“…Study 4 adopted consistent linguistic expressions on the gratitude letters of the three groups (other-focused, self-focused, control) to eliminate the influence of language structure (Capraro et al, 2022 ) in a real donation context. Study 4 also used subsequent donation amount (the average, ¥) as the dependent variable to improve the internal validity.…”

“…Morality preference refers to a kind of innate behavioral tendency, that is, people prefer to do the behavior in line with moral values (Bicchieri, 2005 ; DellaVigna et al, 2012 ; Huck et al, 2012 ). If something is consistent with an individual's moral value and triggers an individual's feelings of doing the morally right thing, it increases the individual's tendency to do it (Capraro et al, 2022 ). Therefore, the current research argues that morality preference includes three important elements: consistency with moral values (cognition), the feeling of doing the morally right thing (perception), and moral tendencies in behavior (intention).…”

“…This perspective accords with evidence from social psychology that individuals derive utility from seeing themselves in a positive moral light (Aquino and Reed, 2002 ; Dunning, 2007 ). It is moral factors, rather than fairness or efficiency, that influence individuals' behavioral preferences (Capraro et al, 2022 ). Altruistic behavior in the dictator game and cooperative behavior in the prisoner's dilemma is partly driven by a desire to do the morally right thing (Capraro and Rand, 2018 ; Tappin and Capraro, 2018 ).…”

Registered Report: Does cooperation framing increase bribery engagement of prosocial individuals?

“…Language is a powerful tool shaping various aspects of human behaviour [1][2][3][4] . For instance, recent research found that moral frames-i.e., language cues emphasizing moral aspects of decisions and behaviours-encourage people to act in a prosocial way [5][6][7] .…”