One Step at a Time: Do Threshold Patterns Matter In Public Good Provision?
Cataloging Information
Documentation, Data and Analysis
User Comments
 
Citation Information
How to Cite
Plamen Nikolov; Maoling Ye; Sam Asher; Lorenzo Casaburi, "One Step at a Time: Do Threshold Patterns Matter In Public Good Provision?", hdl:1902.1/12692
Study Global Idhdl:1902.1/12692
AuthorsPlamen Nikolov (IQSS Graduate Student); Maoling Ye (IQSS Graduate Student); Sam Asher; Lorenzo Casaburi
Distributor ContactPlamen Nikolov (IQSS Graduate Student), pnikolov@iq.harvard.edu
Deposit DateMay 11, 2009
Provenance
Abstract and Scope
Abstract

Substantial literature examining coordination in public goods games exists. We conducted an experiment to explore how varying patterns of thresholds affect the willingness of subjects to contribute to a public good. We had subjects play a multi-period game where each subject was allocated an initial point endowment and told a threshold for the group had to choose how much to contribute to the common pot. Each period is identical, except for the possibility of having a different threshold, which is always stated before the players make their contributions. We found that while contributions are similar for the increasing and decreasing threshold group types when thresholds were low, a sizable gap opens up around the average threshold size. We found that for nearly every threshold, it is more profitable to be in an increasing than in a decreasing threshold group type. Early cooperation seems to facilitate the achievement of harder-to-reach thresholds, which require considerable contributions from all members of the group. These findings are also very robust in the regression specifications. Our findings shed light on the role of past cooperative success and threshold patterns on subsequent willingness to cooperate.

Topic ClassificationEconomics
Terms of Use
Network Terms of UseIQSS Dataverse Network Terms and Conditions

By downloading these Materials, I agree to the following:

  1. I will not use the Materials to
    1. obtain information that could directly or indirectly identify subjects.
    2. produce links among the Distributor's datasets or among the Distributor's data and other datasets that could identify individuals or organizations.
    3. obtain information about, or further contact with, subjects known to me except where the use and/or release of such identifying information has no potential for constituting an unwarranted invasion of privacy and/or breach of confidentiality.
  2. I agree not to download any Materials where prohibited by applicable law.
  3. I agree not to use the Materials in any way prohibited by applicable law.
  4. I agree that any books, articles, conference papers, theses, dissertations, reports, or other publications that I create which employ data reference the bibliographic citation accompanying this data. These citations include the data authors, data identifier, and other information accord with the Recommended Standard (http://thedata.org/citation/standard) for social science data.
  5. THE DISTRIBUTOR MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, BY OPERATION OF LAW OR OTHERWISE, REGARDING OR RELATING TO THE DATASET

BY CLICKING THE "I AGREE" CHECKBOX BELOW, I CONFIRM THAT I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD EACH AND EVERY TERM SET FORTH IN THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR THE USE OF DATA FOUND ABOVE, AND I AGREE TO BE BOUND BY ALL OF SUCH TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

IF I DO NOT UNDERSTAND OR AGREE TO ALL OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, I MUST NOT DOWNLOAD THE MATERIALS.