Social distancing in networks: A web-based interactive experiment
General Economics
2025-05-19 v4 Economics
Abstract
Governments have used social distancing to stem the spread of COVID-19, but lack evidence on the most effective policy to ensure compliance. We examine the effectiveness of fines and informational messages (nudges) in promoting social distancing in a web-based interactive experiment conducted during the first wave of the pandemic on a near-representative sample of the US population. Fines promote distancing, but nudges only have a marginal impact. Individuals do more social distancing when they are aware they are a superspreader. Using an instrumental variable approach, we argue progressives are more likely to practice distancing, and they are marginally more responsive to fines.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2012.12118,
title = {Social distancing in networks: A web-based interactive experiment},
author = {Edoardo Gallo and Darija Barak and Alastair Langtry},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2012.12118},
year = {2025}
}