1)
Presenter: Matteo Marini (University of Bologna)
Title: Narratives, personal norms, and green investments: An experimental study
Abstract: This study investigates the impact of narratives on sustainable investments, and whether this relationship is moderated by personal norms. To this end, we conduct a two-phase laboratory experiment. In the first phase, we elicit participants’ personal norms related to a portfolio choice task. In the second phase – conducted approximately four weeks later – the same participants perform a repeated portfolio choice task after being randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions: (i) exposure to negative (pro-dirty) narratives, (ii) exposure to positive (pro-green) narratives, (iii) exposure to mixed narratives, or (iv) a baseline condition with no narratives. Empirical expectations for the initial portfolio choice are held constant across all conditions, except for a fifth pre-baseline group that only serves to generate empirical expectations and narratives to be shown in the other treatments. We find a short-term positive effect of positive narratives on sustainable investments, but no evidence that positive or negative narratives alter these investments in the long period. Personal (and social) norms – rather than green externalities - are found to be the key drivers of the initial portfolio choice. We discuss possible interpretations of our findings.
2)
Presenter: Susann Adloff (Kiel Institute)
Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA.