Abstract
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 263 - 280 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | European Economic Review |
| Volume | 79 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Cite this
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How does the effect of pre-play suggestions vary with group size? Experimental evidence from a threshold public-good game. / Feltovich, Nicholas; Grossman, Philip Johnson.
In: European Economic Review, Vol. 79, 2015, p. 263 - 280.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - How does the effect of pre-play suggestions vary with group size? Experimental evidence from a threshold public-good game
AU - Feltovich, Nicholas
AU - Grossman, Philip Johnson
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Numerous studies have examined factors influencing the likelihood of cooperative outcomes in nonzero-sum games, but there has been little study of the interaction between two of the most important: group size and pre-play cheap talk. We report results from an experiment in which groups of size between 2 and 15 play a one-shot multi-player threshold public-good game. In our random leader treatment, all group members select a suggestion (e.g., Everyone should choose X ), with one randomly chosen to be broadcast to the group. In a choice only treatment, subjects choose suggestions but none is sent, and in a baseline treatment, there are no suggestions at all. We find a negative interaction between group size and this kind of communication: the beneficial effect of both suggestions overall and cooperative suggestions on cooperation, cooperative outcomes, and payoffs decreases sharply as the group size increases. We find a similar negative interaction in a follow-up treatment in which all group members suggestions are broadcast to the group. Our results suggest that care should be taken in generalising conclusions from small-group experiments to large groups.
AB - Numerous studies have examined factors influencing the likelihood of cooperative outcomes in nonzero-sum games, but there has been little study of the interaction between two of the most important: group size and pre-play cheap talk. We report results from an experiment in which groups of size between 2 and 15 play a one-shot multi-player threshold public-good game. In our random leader treatment, all group members select a suggestion (e.g., Everyone should choose X ), with one randomly chosen to be broadcast to the group. In a choice only treatment, subjects choose suggestions but none is sent, and in a baseline treatment, there are no suggestions at all. We find a negative interaction between group size and this kind of communication: the beneficial effect of both suggestions overall and cooperative suggestions on cooperation, cooperative outcomes, and payoffs decreases sharply as the group size increases. We find a similar negative interaction in a follow-up treatment in which all group members suggestions are broadcast to the group. Our results suggest that care should be taken in generalising conclusions from small-group experiments to large groups.
U2 - 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2015.08.001
DO - 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2015.08.001
M3 - Article
VL - 79
SP - 263
EP - 280
JO - European Economic Review
JF - European Economic Review
SN - 0014-2921
ER -