Actions of Similar Others as Inducements to Cooperate in Social Dilemmas

Abstract

Two studies were conducted to determine whether information about the actions of others in a multitrial social dilemma can influence choice behavior. Participants read about three (fictitious) people who supposedly had already participated in the study and who were either similar or dissimilar to a typical college student. Participants then played several trials of a social dilemma game. Study 1, which used a prisoner’s dilemma, showed that participant rates of cooperation conformed to those reported for similar, but not dissimilar, others. Study 2 added outcome information to the person descriptions and changed the game to a public goods dilemma. Cooperation rates were directly influenced by similar others when others’ choices were described as having produced large outcomes; when choices were said to have produced small outcomes, rate of cooperation was inversely related to others’ behavior. As with Study 1, information about dissimilar others had no effect on choice behavior.