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Preemptive Striking in Individual and Group Conflict
Nobuhiro Mifune1, Yoichi Hizen1, Yoshio Kamijo1
1School of Economics and Management, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi-city, Kochi, Japan.
Plos One
|May 6, 2016
Summary
Preemptive strike games reveal surprising attack dynamics. Contrary to expectations, groups facing individuals exhibited the highest attack rates, challenging previous theories on fear and greed in group interactions.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Game Theory
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Previous research indicates group membership activates greed, while intergroup interaction triggers fear.
- Attacking behavior in preemptive strike games is primarily driven by fear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate preemptive striking behavior between individuals and groups.
- To test the hypothesis that interaction with groups increases attack rates.
Main Methods:
- A laboratory experiment using a preemptive strike game.
- Four conditions were tested: individual vs. individual, individual vs. group, group vs. individual, and group vs. group.
Main Results:
- The hypothesis that interaction with groups increases attack rates was rejected.
- The highest attack rate occurred when a three-person group faced an individual.
Conclusions:
- Group-individual interactions present unique dynamics in preemptive striking.
- Perceived threat from power imbalance and misperceptions of an individual's fear may drive group aggression.
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