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Behavioral Intention Promotes Generalized Reciprocity: Evidence From the Dictator Game
Zhongqiang Sun1,2, Chuyuan Ye1,2, Zhihui He1,2
1Department of Psychology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China.
Frontiers in Psychology
|May 20, 2020
Summary
Intentionality significantly influences generalized reciprocity. People reciprocate generosity when they believe it was intentional, but not when it was random, impacting social interactions.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Generalized reciprocity describes treating others as they have treated you.
- The role of perceived intention in generalized reciprocity is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how a dictator's intention affects a receiver's subsequent resource allocation.
- To determine if intentionality modulates generalized reciprocal behavior.
Main Methods:
- Two rounds of the dictator game were conducted.
- Participants allocated resources (tokens or jobs) in the second round based on the first round's treatment.
- Intentional (human-given) vs. unintentional (computer-given) offers were compared.
Main Results:
- Participants showed a general tendency to treat others better when they had been treated generously compared to greedily.
- Generous treatment from another person (intentional) led to more generous subsequent behavior.
- Previous treatment from a computer (unintentional) did not significantly influence subsequent behavior.
Conclusions:
- Intentionality is a crucial factor in generalized reciprocity.
- Understanding the role of intention can help promote positive social interactions.
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