Slowing COVID-19 transmission as a social dilemma: Lessons for government officials from interdisciplinary research on cooperation

Tim Johnson, Christopher T. Dawes, James H. Fowler and Oleg Smirnov
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Tim Johnson: Willamette University
Christopher T. Dawes: New York University
James H. Fowler: University of California, San Diego
Oleg Smirnov: Stony Brook University

Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, 2020, vol. 3, issue 1

Abstract: To reduce transmission of COVID-19, public officials must help their communities resolve a series of novel social dilemmas. For instance, when social distancing becomes widespread, the likelihood of COVID-19 exposure decreases, thus tempting individuals to leave their homes while others stay sheltered. Yet, if all indulge that temptation, then rates of transmission will increase: everyone would have fared better by cooperatively staying at home. Past research has studied such social dilemmas to understand why cooperation occurs despite incentives that conspire against it. In this narrative review, we select relevant insights from this literature to inform COVID-19 response and we structure those insights around the response stages that government officials face. Together, the measures that we identify can ameliorate the social dilemmas born from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: Social dilemma; Cooperation; COVID-19; Free-riding (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D90 D91 I18 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bpd:articl:v:3:y:2020:i:1:jbpa.31.150

DOI: 10.30636/jbpa.31.150

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