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Strategically Planned Behavior in Public Good Experiments

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  • Claudia Keser

Abstract

Subjects submitted strategies for playing a public good game. The strategies interacted with each other in a computer simulation. They could be revised and resubmitted for a second and a third simulation round. The strategies' average contribution to the public good increased from one simulation to the next. The majority of the strategies submitted for the final simulation show the same pattern: In the first period, they signal their willingness to cooperate by contributing the entire endowment to the public good. Then, they reciprocate the others' average contribution in the previous period. In the final period(s), cooperation is given up, whatever the history of the game. Les participants à une expérience ont soumis des stratégies pour jouer à un jeu de biens publics. Les stratégies ont interagi dans une simulation par ordinateur. Les participants ont eu l'opportunité de réviser et de re-soumettre leurs stratégies pour une deuxième et une troisième simulation. La contribution moyenne des stratégies au bien public a augmenté d'une simulation à l'autre. La majorité des stratégies soumises montrent le même patron de comportement. Dans la première période le participant signale sa volonté à coopérer par une contribution totale au bien public. Puis il s'aligne sur la contribution moyenne faite par les autres dans la période précédente. Dans la (les) période(s) finale(s), la coopération est abandonnée indépendamment du développement du jeu.

Suggested Citation

  • Claudia Keser, 2000. "Strategically Planned Behavior in Public Good Experiments," CIRANO Working Papers 2000s-35, CIRANO.
    • Handle: RePEc:cir:cirwor:2000s-35
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    File URL: https://cirano.qc.ca/files/publications/2000s-35.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Alexis Belianin & Marco Novarese, 2005. "Trust, communication and equlibrium behaviour in public goods," Experimental 0506001, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Muller, Laurent & Sefton, Martin & Steinberg, Richard & Vesterlund, Lise, 2008. "Strategic behavior and learning in repeated voluntary contribution experiments," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 67(3-4), pages 782-793, September.
    3. Rockenbach, Bettina & Wolff, Irenaeus, 2009. "Institution design in social dilemmas: How to design if you must?," MPRA Paper 16922, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Bettina Rockenbach & Irenaeus Wolff, 2016. "Designing Institutions for Social Dilemmas," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 17(3), pages 316-336, August.
    5. Claudia Keser & Giuseppe A. Paleologo, 2004. "Experimental Investigation of Supplier-Retailer Contracts: The Wholesale Price Contract," CIRANO Working Papers 2004s-57, CIRANO.
    6. Claudia Keser & Claude Montmarquette, 2004. "Voluntary Teaming and Effort," CIRANO Working Papers 2004s-49, CIRANO.
    7. Claudia Keser, 2000. "Le financement des biens publics par des contributions volontaires: Une évaluation à l'aide de l'économie expérimentale," CIRANO Working Papers 2000s-37, CIRANO.
    8. Claudia Keser, 2002. "Trust and Reputation Building in E-Commerce," CIRANO Working Papers 2002s-75, CIRANO.
    9. Irlenbusch, Bernd & Ruchala, Gabriele K., 2008. "Relative rewards within team-based compensation," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 141-167, April.
    10. Irlenbusch, Bernd & Ruchala, Gabriele K., 2006. "Relative Rewards within Team-Based Compensation," IZA Discussion Papers 2423, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Public goods; experimental economics; strategy method; Biens publics; économie expérimentale; méthode stratégique;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods

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