Emotion Venting And Punishment In Public Good Experiments

ASU Author/Contributor (non-ASU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
David L. Dickinson Ph.D., Professor (Creator)
Institution
Appalachian State University (ASU )
Web Site: https://library.appstate.edu/

Abstract: Experimental studies have shown that sanctions effectively deter free riding within groups. However, the over-use of costly punishment may actually harm overall welfare. A main reason for over-punishment is that free-riders generate negative emotions that likely favor excessive punishments. In this paper we ask whether the venting of one's emotions in different ways can reduce the level of excessive punishment in a standard VCM-with-punishment environment while preserving the norm enforcement properties of punishment. We find that venting emotions reduces (excessive) punishment, and under certain conditions the net effect is an increase in final payoffs (i.e., welfare) to the group.

Additional Information

Publication
Dickinson, D. L. and D. Masclet (2015). "Emotion venting and punishment in public good experiments." Journal of Public Economics 122: 55-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2014.10.008. Publisher version of record available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047272714002229
Language: English
Date: 2014
Keywords
Sanctions, Public good, Experiment, Venting emotions

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