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Anticipated Communication in the Ultimatum Game

Author

Listed:
  • Mario Capizzani

    (IESE Business School, Av. Pearson 21, 08034 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Luigi Mittone

    (Cognitive and Experimental Economics Laboratory, Department of Economics, University of Trento, Via Inama 5, 38122 Trento, Italy)

  • Andrew Musau

    (Cognitive and Experimental Economics Laboratory, Department of Economics, University of Trento, Via Inama 5, 38122 Trento, Italy
    Faculty of Economics and Organizational Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Industrigata 17, 2619, Lillehammer, Norway)

  • Antonino Vaccaro

    (IESE Business School, Av. Pearson 21, 08034 Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

Anticipated verbal feedback in a dictator game has been shown to induce altruistic behavior. However, in the ultimatum game which, apart from generosity, entails a strategic component since a proposer may (rightly) fear that the responder will reject a low offer, it remains an open question whether anticipated verbal communication can be effective in increasing offers. We implement a between-subjects experimental design in the ultimatum game with strategy method manipulating the form of anticipated verbal communication (no communication, one-sided communication from proposers and two-sided communication) and find that offers are significantly higher in the presence of anticipated two-sided communication. However, anticipated one-sided communication from proposers has no effect on offers, suggesting, as found in previous studies, that it is the anticipation of feedback that is relevant.

Suggested Citation

  • Mario Capizzani & Luigi Mittone & Andrew Musau & Antonino Vaccaro, 2017. "Anticipated Communication in the Ultimatum Game," Games, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-20, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jgames:v:8:y:2017:i:3:p:29-:d:104745
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Feicht, Robert & Grimm, Veronika & Rau, Holger A. & Stephan, Gesine, 2017. "On the impact of quotas and decision rules in collective bargaining," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 175-192.
    3. Bershadskyy, Dmitri & Sachs, Florian E. & Weimann, Joachim, 2023. "Collective bargaining in a shrinking group game: The role of information and communication," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 391-410.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ultimatum game; anticipated communication; experiment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C78 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Bargaining Theory; Matching Theory
    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D03 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Behavioral Microeconomics: Underlying Principles

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