THE INFLUENCE OF COOPERATIVE EXPECTANCY AND VALUE FOR OTHERS ON BEHAVIOR IN SOCIAL TRAPS
Abstract
Situations of outcome interdependencies (social traps) in which subjects must choose between a socially cooperative or a socially defective alternative are quite common. Yet, there is very little research beyond prisoner dilemma research investigating the behavioral processes involved in such situations. This study tested the hypothesis that behavior in social traps is a multiplicative function of two factors: (1) expectancy of cooperation from others and (2) value for other's outcomes. Subjects participated in a managerial in-basket exercise in which both of the above factors were experimentally manipulated. As part of the exercise, subjects were required to make funding decisions, which comprised the social trap. Results indicated that contrary to the hypothesis, the two experimental factors had an additive influence on cooperative/defective behavior. Subjects expecting others to cooperate showed higher cooperation rates than subjects expecting no others to cooperate. Subjects with a high value for others' outcomes cooperated more than subjects with a low value for others' outcomes. Three alternative explanations for the data were discussed and directions for future research were suggested.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Social psychology
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