The relationship of the source of punishment and personality traits with investment and punishment in a public goods game.

ABSTRACT: In this study, we investigated the motivations behind punishing individuals who exploit common resources, a phenomenon crucial for resource preservation. While some researchers suggest punishment stems from concern for the common good, others propose it is driven by anger toward free riders. To probe these motivations, we developed a modified public goods game in which participants had the option to use their own money or the money from the common pool to punish free riders. The analysis included choice behavior, mouse trajectories, and personality traits like anger, empathy, and altruism. According to our results, investments were highest, and punishment was strongest if participants could punish using credits from the common pool, indicating that this is the preferred option to diminish

SUBMITTER: Rodrigues J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11385193 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature