The Public Sector
TU Wien Bibliothek
The Public Sector
TU Wien Bibliothek

Journal Article

Title Are people cooperative? A survey on experimental research of behaviour in social dilemma situations: motives, patterns and implications for policy-makers
Author Traurig, Peter
Published on 30 Jun 2009
Published by Technische Universität Wien
Published in Volume 35 • Issue 1/2 • 2009 , pages 3-119
AC AC11360356
DOI 10.34749/oes.2009.407
URN urn:nbn:at:at-ubtuw:4-407

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Abstract (English)

The presence of public goods raises some fundamental questions about the organization of society and markets as they address questions on the conflict between group and individual interest. While free riding is rational at the individual level, it produces socially undesirable outcomes at the aggregate level. This survey reviews recent work by social scientists intended to isolate fundamental behavioural and motivational aspects in these conflict situations. Two decades of experimental research have revealed that people tend to contribute to public goods at higher levels than theory (Homo oeconomicus) predicts. Going beyond simply demonstrating an "anomaly" (in neoclassical terms) or behavioural phenomenon, a significant number of experimental work has examined the motives that operate in these situations, the contextual variables that influence operating motives and individual differences in the relative strengths and stability of these motives.

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