Communication, Performance, and Perceptions in Experimental Simulations of Resource Dilemmas

Abstract

The response of groups to the experience of coping with resource dilemmas has been an object of study by scholars in several of the social and behavioral sciences. Social norms, trust, and the perception of group identity form cooperative mechanisms critical to group cooperation. However, the opportunity to communicate has been singled out as the most important factor influencing group cooperation performance in resource dilemmas. Until recently, the content of that communication has undergone little examination. This article examines the relationships among topical and functional communication content, group performance, and participant perceptions of cooperative mechanisms in 97 experimental simulation groups. Detailed discussion of specific strategies was positively related, and discussion of general strategy, basic information exchange, and recapitulation of past occurrences in the simulation were negatively related to both amount of harvest from the resource pool and participant perceptions of equality norm emergence, trust, and group identity formation, among others. These perceptions were positively related with both the total amount and within-group equality of harvest.

Group Communication During Resource Dilemmas: 4: The Effect of Group Size

“…The development of the category scheme, described in previous papers (Pavitt, ), consisted of an inductive process based on the discussion of five pilot sessions. It includes two codes for each unit (see Table ).…”

“…Until recently, however, the content of that communication has undergone no more than cursory examination. The study reported herein is the fourth in a series of experimental simulations intended to close that research gap (see Pavitt, , for summary and relevant references). In each of the previous three, the specific goal was to take an input variable with known impact on pool maintenance success and examine the process that is likely responsible for that impact.…”

“…Trust is the lynchpin concept in Ostrom's () process model for resource dilemma management and has been directly linked with cooperation in a significant number of studies (see meta‐analysis by Balliet & Van Lange, ). Trust is, however, just one of what Pavitt () has called the “cooperative mechanisms” central to group functioning during resource dilemmas.…”

“…Quite a few studies (e.g., Bornstein, ; Neidert & Linder, ) have supported the efficacy of verbalized promises to cooperate in subsequent action. In actuality, all of the cooperative mechanisms work in concert to encourage cooperation and resource pool management (Ostrom, ; Pavitt, ).…”

Social roles and performance of social-ecological systems: evidence from behavioral lab experiments

“…Although the underlying causal processes are still debated, it is well known that communication improves outcomes in social dilemmas (Ostrom et al 1992, Sally 1995. Previous studies have concluded that it is the option for and the amount of communication rather than the content of the communication that is necessary to improve outcomes (Pavitt et al 2005, Janssen 2010, but see Pavitt 2011). We analyzed communication by linking the content of the communication among participants to social roles.…”