Happiness, cooperation and language

Eugenio Proto, Daniel Sgroi and Mahnaz Nazneen

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2019, vol. 168, issue C, 209-228

Abstract: According to existing research across several disciplines (management, psychology, economics and neuroscience), positive mood can have positive effects, engendering more altruistic, open and helpful behaviour, but can also work through a more negative channel by inducing inward-orientation, assertiveness, and reduced use of information. This leaves the impact on cooperation in interactive and strategic situations unclear. We find evidence from 490 participants in a laboratory experiment suggesting that participants in an induced positive mood cooperate less in a repeated Prisoner’s Dilemma than participants in a neutral setting. This is robust to the number of repetitions or the inclusion of pre-play communication. In order to understand why positive mood might damage the propensity to cooperate, we conduct a language analysis of the pre-play communication between players. This analysis indicates that subjects in a more positive mood use more inward-oriented and more negative language.

Keywords: Positive mood; Affect; Happiness; Mood induction procedures; Cooperation; Repeated Prisoner’s Dilemma; Social preferences; Social dilemmas; Cognitive skills; Productivity; Inward-orientation; Language analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C72 C91 D91 J24 J28 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jeborg:v:168:y:2019:i:c:p:209-228

DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2019.10.006

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