Operations, Information and Decisions Papers
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
12-2009
Publication Source
Journal of Risk and Uncertainty
Volume
39
Start Page
251
Last Page
270
DOI
10.1007/s11166-009-9080-2
Abstract
Previous research has shown an ‘interindividual-intergroup discontinuity effect’: intergroup interactions generally lead to less cooperative outcomes than interindividual interactions. We replicate the discontinuity effect in the deterministic prisoner’s dilemma, but find that groups are more cooperative than individuals in a stochastic version of the game. Three major factors that underlie the usual discontinuity effect are reduced in the stochastic environment: greed, fear, and persuasion power. Two group mechanisms are proposed to explain the reversed discontinuity effect: the motivation to avoid guilt and blame when making decisions that affect others’ welfare, and the social pressure to conform to certain norms when one is in a group setting.
Copyright/Permission Statement
The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11166-009-9080-2
Keywords
group decision, uncertainty, cooperation, experimental economics
Recommended Citation
Gong, M., Baron, J., & Kunreuther, H. (2009). Group Cooperation Under Uncertainty. Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, 39 251-270. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11166-009-9080-2
Date Posted: 27 November 2017