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On the Provision of Public Goods with Probabilistic and Ambiguous Thresholds

Author

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  • Astrid Dannenberg
  • Andreas Löschel
  • Gabriele Paolacci
  • Christiane Reif
  • Alessandro Tavoni

Abstract

Many natural systems involve thresholds that, once triggered, imply irreversible damages for the users. Although the existence of such thresholds is undisputed, their location is highly uncertain. We explore experimentally how threshold uncertainty affects collective action in a series of threshold public goods games. Whereas the public good is always provided when the exact value of the threshold is known, threshold uncertainty is generally detrimental for the public good provision as contributions become more erratic. The negative effect of threshold uncertainty is particularly severe when it takes the form of ambiguity, i.e. when players are not only unaware of the value of the threshold, but also of its probability distribution. Early and credible commitment helps groups to cope with uncertainty. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Astrid Dannenberg & Andreas Löschel & Gabriele Paolacci & Christiane Reif & Alessandro Tavoni, 2015. "On the Provision of Public Goods with Probabilistic and Ambiguous Thresholds," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 61(3), pages 365-383, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:61:y:2015:i:3:p:365-383
    DOI: 10.1007/s10640-014-9796-6
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cooperation; Experiment; Public good; Threshold uncertainty; Ambiguity; C72; C92; H41; Q54;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • Q54 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Climate; Natural Disasters and their Management; Global Warming

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