Commons-based peer production is an activity that is emerging as a distinct mode of resource allocation and production of information, knowledge and culture ('social production??? for short), potentially heralding a new stage in the development of information/knowledge-based economies. This paper presents a cross-country analysis of factors determining the information and knowledge output of the paradigmatic social production project, i.e. SETI@home. The main hypothesis explored is that the level of average subjective well-being in a country is a motivational proxy variable that can help explain the cross-country variation in SETI@home output levels. The hypothesis that trust might be of lesser importance is also explored. I find support for both hypotheses, but only for developed and advanced countries, not poor countries.
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Paper provided by Monash University, Department of Economics in its series Monash Economics Working Papers with number
23/07.