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Common fate, game harmony and contributions to public goods: experimental evidence

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  • Luca Corazzini
  • Robert Sugden

Abstract

We experimentally study the effects of common fate on voluntary contributions to linear public goods. In each period, earnings are assigned to subjects according to the outcome of a lottery. We manipulate the level of common fate across treatments by varying the degree of harmony in the lottery structure. We observe higher contributions and stronger reciprocity in the most harmonious manipulation. Surprisingly, we find a positive relation between contributions and having experienced a favourable lottery outcome in the previous period, with the strength of this effect being inversely associated with the degree of harmony.
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  • Luca Corazzini & Robert Sugden, 2011. "Common fate, game harmony and contributions to public goods: experimental evidence," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 58(1), pages 43-52, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:inrvec:v:58:y:2011:i:1:p:43-52
    DOI: 10.1007/s12232-010-0111-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sergio Beraldo & Luigino Bruni, 2011. "The semantics of market and civil society: a bird’s eye view of Robert Sugden’s contribution to social sciences," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 58(1), pages 1-8, March.
    2. Matteo M. Marini & Aurora García-Gallego & Luca Corazzini, 2018. "Communication in a threshold public goods game with ambiguity: Anomalies and regularities," Working Papers 2018/03, Economics Department, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Common fate; Game harmony; Public goods; Group identification; C91; C92; H40; H41;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
    • H40 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - General
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods

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