Holistic experimentation versus decomposition: An ultimatum experiment

Author(s)
Max Albert, Werner Gueth, Erich Kirchler, Boris Maciejovsky
Abstract

In phase I, every participant plays the ultimatum game with each of the other five group members. For each of five offers, it is learned how many participants in each group would have accepted it. In phase II, the pie is 30 times larger. Thus, response behavior can be explored in phase I and, with this information, possibly exploited in phase II. Neither game theory nor equity theory suggest such holistic experimentation. Seventy-four participants out of 91 engaged in experimentation by submitting different offers in phase I. The remaining 17 submitted equal offers as suggested by decomposition hypothesis. 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Organisation(s)
External organisation(s)
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Universität Koblenz-Landau, Universität Wien
Journal
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization
Volume
48
Pages
445-453
No. of pages
9
ISSN
0167-2681
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-2681(01)00237-2
Publication date
2002
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
5010 Psychology
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/holistic-experimentation-versus-decomposition-an-ultimatum-experiment(61762701-56c0-45af-ac26-27da8595200b).html