“Does My Contribution Really Matter?”: Efficacy in Social Dilemmas

Abstract

This chapter reviews a program of research which has examined some of the ways that feelings of inefficacy can affect cooperative choices in social dilemmas. Several ways in which self- and collective efficacy are determined, both validly and speciously, are identified. Few instances where established, cooperation-enhancing remedies are directly mediated by a sense of efficacy are documented, but it is demonstrated that a direct manipulation of perceived self-efficacy does have a strong, direct effect on willingness to cooperate. Moreover, it is illustrated in several studies that one can better understand why and when certain factors (e.g., group discussion; a shared group fate) affect cooperation by examining whether and how they are moderated by the efficacy of a cooperative act.