Respect and Cooperation in Social Dilemmas: The Importance of Feeling Included

Abstract

The present research examined the effect of respect communicated by fellow group members on one’s willingness to contribute to the group’s welfare. Based on the procedural justice literature, it was expected that respect would communicate important relational information, consequently enhancing people’s motivation to promote the group’s welfare. Using a public good dilemma, it was found that respect indeed motivated group members to contribute more to the group’s welfare and that this was most pronounced among group members who felt least included (i.e., peripheral members) relative to group members who felt included (i.e., core members).These findings illustrate the importance of decision makers’ concerns about viable and positive intragroup relationships in their decision to cooperate or not.