Conditioning on what? Heterogeneous contributions and conditional cooperation

Arbeitspapier

We experimentally investigate how different information about others' individual contributions affects conditional cooperators' willingness to cooperate in a one-shot linear public goods game. We find that when information about individual contributions is provided, contributions are generally higher than when only average information is available. This effect is particularly strong when others' individual contributions are relatively homogeneous. When both types of information are provided, this effect is moderated. In the case of individual feedback we find the willingness to contribute to be higher the lower the variation in others' contributions, but with pronounced heterogeneity in individuals' reactions. While the majority of conditional cooperators' are mainly guided by others' average contributions, more people follow the bad example of a low contributor than the good example of a high contributor. Overall, we provide evidence that information (and lack thereof) about others' individual contributions affects conditional cooperators' willingness to cooperate in systematic ways.

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• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: CeDEx Discussion Paper Series ; No. 2014-12

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Public Goods ; Design of Experiments: Laboratory, Individual ; Noncooperative Games
• Subject: Conditional cooperation ; Information ; Heterogeneity ; Public goods ; Experiments

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Hartig, Björn ; Irlenbusch, Bernd ; Kölle, Felix
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): The University of Nottingham, Centre for Decision Research and Experimental Economics (CeDEx)
• (where): Nottingham
• (when): 2014

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/129816