Group Size and Cooperation

Henry Hamburger, Melvin Guyer and John Fox
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Henry Hamburger: School of Social Sciences University of California, Irvine
Melvin Guyer: Department of Psychiatry University of Michigan
John Fox: Department of Psychology University of Alberta

Journal of Conflict Resolution, 1975, vol. 19, issue 3, 503-531

Abstract: To compare the effects of group size on cooperation, we introduce a class of simple multiperson games. These games can be regarded as n-person generalizations of the two-person prisoner's dilemma with expected value payoffs. In order to ensure that identical expected-value monetary alternatives are available to players in different-sized groups, we introduced a certain formal constraint on payoffs. Results of an experimental study comparing three-and seven-person groups show that the smaller-sized group is markedly more cooperative than the larger group. The primary emphasis of this paper is methodological. It demonstrates a technique to measure cooperation as a function of group size unconfounded by role-playing and utility considerations.

Date: 1975
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:jocore:v:19:y:1975:i:3:p:503-531

DOI: 10.1177/002200277501900307

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