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Strategic Behavior and Learning in Repeated Voluntary-Contribution Experiments

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  • Laurent Muller

    (GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée = Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory - UPMF - Université Pierre Mendès France - Grenoble 2 - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Martin Sefton
  • Richard Steinberg
  • Lise Vesterlund

Abstract

Voluntary contribution experiments systematically find that contributions decline over time. We use a two-stage voluntary contribution game to investigate whether this decrease is caused by learning or strategic behavior. Using a strategy method we find a robust pattern of declining contributions: contributions in stage 2 are 45 percent lower than in stage 1. Repeating the game five times we find that experience generates a smaller decline in contributions: stage 1 contributions decrease by around 7 percent per game. Finally we find no significant differences between the strategy and direct-response method, which suggests that our results help explain behavior in the latter.

Suggested Citation

  • Laurent Muller & Martin Sefton & Richard Steinberg & Lise Vesterlund, 2008. "Strategic Behavior and Learning in Repeated Voluntary-Contribution Experiments," Post-Print hal-00614682, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00614682
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2007.09.001
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-00614682
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    References listed on IDEAS

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