Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 25, 2025
06:18
The Collective Trust Game: An Online Group Adaptation of the Trust Game Based on the HoneyComb Paradigm
Published on: October 20, 2022
2.4K
Social and general intelligence improves collective action in a common pool resource system.
Jacob Freeman1,2, Jacopo A Baggio3,4,5, Thomas R Coyle6
1Anthropology Program, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84321; jacob.freeman@usu.edu.
Summary
Cognitive abilities, including general and social intelligence, enhance group cooperation for managing shared resources. Higher intelligence in these areas leads to more consistent and effective collective action, crucial for environmental sustainability.
Area of Science:
- Environmental governance
- Cognitive science
- Social-ecological systems
Background:
- Sustainable natural resource management requires collective action from diverse populations.
- Human cognition in social-ecological settings is foundational for collective action.
- Understanding cognitive factors influencing resource management is critical.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of cognitive abilities on the management of common pool resources.
- To investigate the distinct roles of general and social intelligence in resource governance.
- To establish a foundation for integrating cognitive diversity in explaining sustainable resource management.
Main Methods:
- Experimental assessment of cognitive abilities in group resource management tasks.
- Analysis of the relationship between general intelligence, social intelligence, and collective action effectiveness.
- Evaluation of group performance under changing social or ecological conditions.
Main Results:
- Both general and social intelligence significantly improve a group's ability to manage common pool resources.
- Groups with high levels of both cognitive abilities demonstrate more effective and consistent collective action.
- Cognitive abilities enhance group performance in resource management, even amidst environmental change.
Conclusions:
- General and social intelligence are key cognitive foundations for effective collective action in resource governance.
- Integrating cognitive abilities with other dimensions of cognitive diversity can predict sustainable natural resource management.
- Findings provide insights into when and why groups succeed or fail in governing shared resources under environmental change.
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