PSYC1111 Lecture Notes - Lecture 27: Social Dilemma, Schadenfreude
Argument -> in a perfect world, we would have much more cooperation than competition!
cooperation is a pathway to a much better world!•
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Research on the variables that contribute to whether or not people will cooperate or compete in
social dilemma!
7 factors that have been shown to influence how people behave (compete or not)!•
done with game theory paradigm!◦
some of them, people tried to do them in a naturalistic setting!◦
most of them done with game theory!•
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MOST IMPORTANT VALUES
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1) reward structure
structure of the environment around you by which behavior is rewarded or not!•
weight the contingencies, tend to make a difference!◦
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3 Types of reward structures!
a) a competitive reward structure -> resources or rewards are distributed that it favors
competition!
example: classroom grading, grade on a curve only promotes competition, if you want a ◦
higher grade, its to your advantage that other people do poorly!
grade is a comparison to how you did with others!‣
this would predict that if somebody asked to borrow notes, we would be less likely to ‣
give it to them!
companies having competitions for sales ◦
whoever sells the most gets car!‣
not to your advantage to be a team player!‣
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b) cooperative reward structure -> resources are given out in such a way that it behooves
people to cooperate!
example: group project, dividing up the labor, help a teammate out to have better data, ◦
this promotes cooperation!
boot training in army services, if one person doesn't pass the obstacle course, they ‣
all don't get a break, help the other kid!
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c) individualistic reward structure -> you get what you earn!
example: grading a test, you get the numerical grade that you receive !◦
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2) personal values !
value that an individual carries with them, what makes you happy, values you have!•
how much satisfaction you will get!•
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3 types of personal values !
a) competitive personal values !
get more satisfaction if you do better than the people around you!◦
many people are this way !◦
compare themselves to others and their values are competitive!◦
joy when you see someone else suffer -> schadenfreude !◦
