Provisional title: Social (anti)conformity in strategic games

Last registered on December 27, 2024

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Provisional title: Social (anti)conformity in strategic games
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0014644
Initial registration date
December 13, 2024

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
December 27, 2024, 1:52 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
Université Paris 1

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Affiliation
Université d'Orléans
PI Affiliation
Université Paris 1

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2024-12-15
End date
2025-02-28
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
Individuals make decisions based on their intrinsic preferences but are also influenced by the decisions of others. Conformity refers to the tendency to align one's choice with that of others, while anticonformity is characterized by a deliberate effort to oppose others' choices. These two behaviors—conformity and anticonformity—are opposites in terms of social utility: conformists seek to align, whereas anticonformists aim to oppose. This study explores, in theory and in a laboratory experiment, the interaction between personal preferences and social influence, specifically conformity and anticonformity. It examines how induced intrinsic preferences and induced (anti-)conformity preferences interact, and which of these factors is more dominant in decision-making. Additionally, the research investigates whether individual characteristics, such as susceptibility to social pressure, influence behavior. To assess these preferences, we use the Revised Self-Monitoring Scale and the Concern for Appropriateness Scale, translated into French. The study also controls for social preferences (SVO) to better understand the role of social influence on decision-making.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Boulu-Reshef, Béatrice, liza charroin and Agnieszka Rusinowska. 2024. "Provisional title: Social (anti)conformity in strategic games." AEA RCT Registry. December 27. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.14644-1.0
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention Start Date
2024-12-15
Intervention End Date
2025-02-28

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The choice (one option or the other) of each participant in each type of game and how it varies according to the parameters of the game implemented in the experiment.
We will measure the frequency of the preferred option chosen in each game, depending on the parameters and the treatment.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
A psychological test on (anti) conformity will help us check whether their personality trait predicts their choice. We will also control for their social preferences with an SVO task to check whether it influences their choice in the games.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Participants play in groups of 2 and 3 in several game-theoretic settings, using a stranger matching. We are conducting two treatments (between-subject design): a neutral treatment and a label treatment to measure how it impacts their choice. Within each treatment, we vary the parameters of the games. Our goal is to measure which option participants choose in these different types of games, given the parameters of the controlled experiment and of individual preferences.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Participants will register for the lab experiment and play one of the two treatments.
Randomization Unit
We form groups of 2 or 3 participants, randomly at each period. Some periods will be randomly drawn for payment.
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
We will run approximately 10-14 sessions with 18-24 participants in each, so 5-7 sessions per treatment.
Sample size: planned number of observations
We plan to collect data on approximately 300 participants, 150 per treatment depending on the exact number of participants per session, knowing that this number can vary between 18 to 24.
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Between 100 and 150 participants per treatment approximately.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials

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IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
IRB of Paris School of Economics
IRB Approval Date
2024-11-25
IRB Approval Number
2024-055