Greed and fear: Competitive and charitable priming in a threshold volunteer's dilemma |
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Authors: | Shakun D Mago Jennifer Pate |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Economics, Robins School of Business, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia, USA;2. Department of Economics, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California, USA |
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Abstract: | In the “k-volunteer's dilemma” benefit accrues to all members if at least k members volunteer, and receive nothing otherwise. We use experiments to examine (a) volunteering behavior when threshold k increases from 1 to 2, and (b) whether volunteering behavior shifts toward norms associated with one of two primed identities—charitable or competitive. We find that increasing the threshold increases an individual's probability of volunteering, but the likelihood of good provision is lower. Neither priming affects volunteering behavior when k = 1, but competitive priming effectively increases volunteering when k = 2. Both greed and fear of non-provision appear to affect volunteering. |
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Keywords: | behavioral priming coordination laboratory experiment social identity threshold effects volunteer's dilemma |
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