Influence Motives in Social Signaling: Evidence from COVID-19 Vaccinations in Germany
Abstract
We investigate whether a desire to influence others’ choices affects our own behavior. To separate such influence motives from social pressure, we study participants’ willingness to register for a COVID-19 vaccination in a field experiment in Germany. We vary whether participants’ registration decisions are shared with a peer, to activate social pressure, and whether peers are informed before their own decision, to isolate influence motives. We find that influence motives double participants’ registration likelihood, an effect driven by individuals with ex ante trust in the vaccine. Despite anticipating to influence their peers, participants cannot alter peer behavior in the experiment. (JEL C93, D12, D82, D91, I12, I18)