Cooperation and ethical choices: an experimental approach

Ngoc-thao Noet () and Serge Blondel
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Ngoc-thao Noet: GRANEM, University of Angers

Economics Bulletin, 2023, vol. 43, issue 4, 1698 - 1717

Abstract: When confronted with choices involving the public good, individuals do not always choose the collective interest. If the ethical choice is a social issue, it is above all a social dilemma. Through an experiment in which we study the behavior of 114 subjects, we evaluate the degree of cooperation and explain the factors underlying ethical choices. The implementation of the prisoners' dilemma and public good games reveals correlation between the amount of the ethical premium and the degree of cooperation. We identify factors that increase this cooperation, such as the frequency of interactions with individuals. The more cooperative individuals are, the greater the ethical premium. Moreover, individuals naturally seek to cooperate. The more the game is repeated, the greater the degree of cooperation. Finally, the degree of contribution is lower when individuals anticipate the dilution of the responsibility. So, if we want to generalize ethical choices, we need to pay attention to individual interest in order to increase collective interest.

Keywords: cooperation; ethical values; public good game; prisoners' dilemma. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C7 C9 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023-12-30
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