Are we nice(r) to nice(r) people? - An experimental analysis

Author(s)

Max Albert, Werner Güth, Erich Kirchler, Boris Maciejovsky

Abstract

We experimentally investigate whether individuals can reliably detect cooperators (the nice(r) people) in an anonymous decision environment involving ¿connected games.¿ Participants can condition their choices in an asymmetric prisoners¿ dilemma and a trust game on past individual (their partner¿s donation share to a self-selected charity) and social (whether their partner belongs to a group with high or low average donations) information. Thus, the two measures of niceness are the individual donation share in the donation task, and the cooperativeness of one¿s choice in the two games. We find that high donors achieve a higher-than-average expected payoff by cooperating predominantly with other high donors. Group affiliation proved to be irrelevant. Copyright Economic Science Association 2007

Organisation(s)

External organisation(s)

Universität des Saarlandes, Max-Planck-Institut für Ökonomik, Harvard University

Journal

Experimental Economics

Volume

10

Pages

53-69

No. of pages

17

ISSN

1386-4157

Publication date

2007

Peer reviewed

Yes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

5010 Psychology, 5020 Economics

Portal url

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/are-we-nicer-to-nicer-people--an-experimental-analysis(d4836eb1-7091-406d-aa1f-0d57e2dbb451).html