Effects of opportunity to communicate and visibility of individual decisions on behavior in the common interest

Abstract

Conducted 2 experiments on the effects of opportunity to communicate and visibility of individual decisions on socially responsible behavior in group situations involving the "commons" problem. 280 undergraduates in a business administration course were assigned roles as firm representatives and assembled in groups of 5 to bid on contracts under various conditions. Opportunity to communicate resulted in more socially responsible bidding, but visibility of individual decisions had no effect. Opportunity to communicate also helped to sustain socially responsible bidding in the face of a persistently defecting group member. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)