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Partner Selection in Public Goods Experiments

Author

Listed:
  • Coricelli, Giorgio

    (Department of Economics, University of Siena)

  • Fehr, Dietmar

    (Department of Economics and Finance, Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna)

  • Fellner, Gerlinde

    (Strategic Interaction Group, Max Planck Institute for Research into Economic Systems)

Abstract

This paper studies the effect of introducing costly partner selection for the voluntary contribution to a public good. Subjects participate in six sequences of five rounds of a two-person public good game in partner design. At the end of each sequence, subjects can select a new partner out of six group members. Unidirectional and bidirectional partner selection mechanisms are introduced and compared to controls with random partner rematching. Results demonstrate significantly higher cooperation in correspondence to unidirectional partner selection than to bidirectional selection and random rematching. Average monetary effort for being able to choose a partner is substantially high and remains stable.

Suggested Citation

  • Coricelli, Giorgio & Fehr, Dietmar & Fellner, Gerlinde, 2004. "Partner Selection in Public Goods Experiments," Economics Series 151, Institute for Advanced Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:ihs:ihsesp:151
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    File URL: https://irihs.ihs.ac.at/id/eprint/1550
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Public goods; Partner selection; Experimental economics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods

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