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Trust as a social norm? A lab-in-the-field experiment with refugees in Switzerland

Author

Listed:
  • Stefanie S Baumgartner

    (UNIFR - Université de Fribourg = University of Fribourg)

  • Fabio Galeotti

    (GATE Lyon Saint-Étienne - Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon - Saint-Etienne - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne - EM - EMLyon Business School - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Thierry Madiès

    (UNIFR - Université de Fribourg = University of Fribourg)

  • Marie Claire Villeval

    (GATE Lyon Saint-Étienne - Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon - Saint-Etienne - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne - EM - EMLyon Business School - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

Trust plays a crucial role in refugees' integration. This study examines how social information about trust levels among peers from home and host countries affects non-Western refugees' trust. Using a trust game, we measured experimentally trust levels among Swiss citizens, Turkish refugees, and Afghan refugees. We found that Turkish refugees exhibited higher trust levels than Afghan refugees, but no significant trust differences were found between Swiss participants and either refugee group. Turkish refugees adjusted their trust to match Swiss levels when receiving social information, but observation by compatriots reduced this effect. By contrast, Afghan refugees exhibited a more limited response to social information, except when told their behavior would be revealed, which led them to align more closely with Swiss trust levels. These findings highlight the complex impact of social information on refugee trust behavior and suggest that trust can be a social norm.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefanie S Baumgartner & Fabio Galeotti & Thierry Madiès & Marie Claire Villeval, 2025. "Trust as a social norm? A lab-in-the-field experiment with refugees in Switzerland," Working Papers hal-05001907, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-05001907
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05001907v1
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