| Abstract: | We report results of an experiment in which we examined consumption behavior of groups of players sharing a common resource pool under four distinct protocols of play. Under thesimultaneousprotocol all subjects make their requests simultaneously. In the other three protocols, players make requests, one at a time, but with various types and levels of information about the process: In thesequentialprotocol, subjects make requests with complete information about their position in the sequence and full disclosure of previous requests; In thepositionalprotocol, requests are made with precise information on one's position in the sequence order, but without disclosing the requests of previous players; Finally, under thecumulativeprotocol, subject make requests with complete information regarding the total previous requests, but do not know their exact position in the sequence. We found a significant "position effect" in all three nonsimultaneous protocols: Mean individual requests and position in the sequence are negatively correlated, reflecting an "early mover advantage" and a "late mover handicap." The effect is weakest in the positional protocol, whereas the sequential and cumulative protocols are, practically, identical. We conclude that although position effects can be induced by temporal priority, they are primarily driven by differential patterns of information regarding the behavior of the other group members. Although the request pattern was consistent with predictions based on the subjects' social orientation, the differences were not quite as pronounced (and significant) as in the "regular" simultaneous dilemmas. On the other hand, we found that the subjects' requests in the simultaneous protocol were an accurate predictor of their behavior in the other protocols as well. |
