Strategic Self-Regulation in Groups: Collective Implementation Intentions Help Cooperate When Cooperation Is Called for

Frontiers in Psychology

article

J. Lukas Thürmer¹  Frank Wieber¹  Peter M. Gollwitzer¹ 

[1] Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz;Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg;Institute of Health Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences;Department of Psychology, New York University, United States;Institute of Psychology, Leuphana University of Lüneburg

关键词: collective implementation intentions;    small group performance;    self-regulation;    cooperation;    prisoners’ dilemma;    motivation science;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2020.561388

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Groups need contributions that are personally costly to their members. Such cooperation is only adaptive when others cooperate as well, as unconditional cooperation may incur high costs to the individual. We argue that individuals can use We -if-then plans (collective implementation intentions, cIIs) to regulate their group-directed behavior strategically, helping them to cooperate selectively with group members in the situation planned for. In line with this prediction, a cII to consider group earnings increased cooperative decisions in a prisoners’ dilemma game when playing against another group member but not when playing against a stranger (i.e., non-group member). Moreover, cIIs to cooperate in the prisoners’ dilemma game did not increase cooperation in a structurally similar investment game that participants had not planned for. We discuss the role of collective planning in solving social dilemmas.

【 授权许可】

CC BY