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Cooperation: The Power of a single word? Some experimental evidence on wording and gender effects in a game of chicken

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  • Marie-Laure Cabon-Dhersin

    (CREAM - Centre de Recherche en Economie Appliquée à la Mondialisation - UNIROUEN - Université de Rouen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - IRIHS - Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire Homme et Société - UNIROUEN - Université de Rouen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université)

  • Nathalie Etchart-Vincent

    (CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

Framing has been widely shown to affect decision making. In this paper, we investigate experimentally whether, and to what extent, cooperative behaviour in a Game of Chicken may be impacted by a very basic change in the labelling of the strategies. Our within-subject experimental design involves two treatments. The only difference between them is that we introduce either a socially-oriented wording (I cooperate/I do not cooperate) or colours (red/blue) to designate strategies. The level of cooperation appears to be higher in the socially-oriented context, but only when uncertainty as regards the type of the partner is manipulated, and especially among females.

Suggested Citation

  • Marie-Laure Cabon-Dhersin & Nathalie Etchart-Vincent, 2013. "Cooperation: The Power of a single word? Some experimental evidence on wording and gender effects in a game of chicken," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) hal-00763429, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:cesptp:hal-00763429
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8586.2012.00468.x
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    1. Marie-Laure Cabon-Dhersin & Nathalie Etchart-Vincent, 2013. "Wording and gender effects in a Game of Chicken. An explorative experimental study," Working Papers hal-00796708, HAL.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    cooperation; Game of Chicken; gender effects; label framing effects; social dilemma; wording effects;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior

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