REWARD SIZE AND GAME PLAYING BEHAVIOR

S haw J. Reward size and game playing behavior. Scand, J. Psychol ., 1972, 13 , 121–132.—The results of studies dealing with the effects of heightened incentives in game playing situations present a complicated pattern of findings ranging from those favoring cooperation, through those indicating no relation, to those favoring competition. A critical review of these studies is made followed by attempts to reconcile the divergent findings. These include: ( a ) Gallo's (1968 b ) index of average payoff per trial, and ( b ) Oskamp & Kleinke's (1970) notion that large rewards may induce individualistic behavior. Suggestions are made for further research on reward size as related to ( a ) noneconomic rewards, ( b ) matrix structure, ( c ) reward pattern, ( d ) multichoice methodologies, and ( e ) parametric values.