Experiments in which subjects play simultaneously several finite
prisoner's dilemma supergames with and without an outside option
reveal that: (i) subjects use probabilistic start and endeffect
behaviour, (ii) the freedom to choose whether to play the
prisoner's dilemma game enhances cooperation, (iii) if the
payoff for simultaneous defection is negative, subjects'
tendency to avoid losses leads them to cooperate; while this
tendency makes them stick to mutual defection if its payoff is
p ...
Experiments in which subjects play simultaneously several finite
prisoner's dilemma supergames with and without an outside option
reveal that: (i) subjects use probabilistic start and endeffect
behaviour, (ii) the freedom to choose whether to play the
prisoner's dilemma game enhances cooperation, (iii) if the
payoff for simultaneous defection is negative, subjects'
tendency to avoid losses leads them to cooperate; while this
tendency makes them stick to mutual defection if its payoff is
positive.
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