An Experimental Test of the Effects of Fear in a Coordination Game

IF 3.2 Q1 POLITICAL SCIENCE

Journal of Experimental Political Science Pub Date : 2023-05-29 DOI:10.1017/XPS.2023.10

A. Aldama, Deshawn Sambrano, Mateo Vásquez-Cortés, Lauren E. Young

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Abstract Cognitive appraisal theory predicts that emotions affect participation decisions around risky collective action. However, little existing research has attempted to parse out the mechanisms by which this process occurs. We build a global game of regime change and discuss the effects that fear may have on participation through pessimism about the state of the world, other players’ willingness to participate, and risk aversion. We test the behavioral effects of fear in this game by conducting 32 sessions of an experiment in two labs where participants are randomly assigned to an emotion induction procedure. In some rounds of the game, potential mechanisms are shut down to identify their contribution to the overall effect of fear. Our results show that in this context, fear does not affect willingness to participate. This finding highlights the importance of context, including integral versus incidental emotions and the size of the stakes, in shaping effect of emotions on behavior.

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协调博弈中恐惧效应的实验检验

摘要认知评价理论预测情绪会影响高风险集体行动的参与决策。然而，很少有现有的研究试图解析出这一过程发生的机制。我们构建了一个关于政权更迭的全球游戏，并讨论了通过对世界状况的悲观情绪、其他参与者的参与意愿和风险厌恶情绪，恐惧可能对参与产生的影响。我们通过在两个实验室进行32次实验来测试恐惧在这个游戏中的行为影响，参与者被随机分配到一个情绪诱导程序中。在游戏的某些回合中，潜在的机制被关闭，以确定它们对恐惧的整体影响的贡献。我们的研究结果表明，在这种情况下，恐惧并不影响参与的意愿。这一发现强调了情境的重要性，包括整体情绪与附带情绪以及利害关系的大小，在塑造情绪对行为的影响方面。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Experimental Political Science Social Sciences-Sociology and Political Science

CiteScore

5.10

自引率

8.30%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal of Experimental Political Science (JEPS) features cutting-edge research that utilizes experimental methods or experimental reasoning based on naturally occurring data. We define experimental methods broadly: research featuring random (or quasi-random) assignment of subjects to different treatments in an effort to isolate causal relationships in the sphere of politics. JEPS embraces all of the different types of experiments carried out as part of political science research, including survey experiments, laboratory experiments, field experiments, lab experiments in the field, natural and neurological experiments. We invite authors to submit concise articles (around 4000 words or fewer) that immediately address the subject of the research. We do not require lengthy explanations regarding and justifications of the experimental method. Nor do we expect extensive literature reviews of pros and cons of the methodological approaches involved in the experiment unless the goal of the article is to explore these methodological issues. We expect readers to be familiar with experimental methods and therefore to not need pages of literature reviews to be convinced that experimental methods are a legitimate methodological approach. We will consider longer articles in rare, but appropriate cases, as in the following examples: when a new experimental method or approach is being introduced and discussed or when novel theoretical results are being evaluated through experimentation. Finally, we strongly encourage authors to submit manuscripts that showcase informative null findings or inconsistent results from well-designed, executed, and analyzed experiments.