Is it what you say or how you say it?
Qin, Xiangdong Wang, Siyu Wu, Mike Zhiren
Qin, Xiangdong
Wang, Siyu
Wu, Mike Zhiren
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2024
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Article
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C92; Commitment; Communication; Cooperation; D83; D91; Promise; Threat
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Qin, X., Wang, S., Wu, M.Z. Is it what you say or how you say it? (2024). Experimental Economics. DOI: 10.1007/s10683-024-09830-4
Abstract
This study investigates the mechanisms driving the effectiveness of free-form communication in promoting cooperation within a sequential social dilemma game. We hypothesize that the self-constructing nature of free-form communication enhances the sincerity of messages and increases the disutility of dishonoring promises. Our experimental results demonstrate that free-form messages outperform both restricted promises and treatments where subjects select and use previously constructed free-form messages. Interestingly, we find that selected free-form messages and restricted promises achieve similar levels of cooperation. We observe that free-form messages with higher sincerity increase the likelihood of high-price and high-quality choices, thereby promoting cooperation. These messages frequently include promises and honesty, while threats do not promote cooperation. Our findings emphasize the crucial role of the self-constructed nature of free-form messages in promoting cooperation, exceeding the impact of message content compared to restricted communication protocols. � The Author(s) 2024.
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Springer
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Experimental Economics
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1386-4157