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Last Published September 06, 2026 08:01 AM September 06, 2026 08:14 AM
Intervention (Public) Participants are randomly assigned to a 3-person group to complete two behavioral tasks: a Risky Choice (RC) task and a Risky-Intertemporal Choice (RIC) task. The study implements a 2 X 2 between-subject factorial design to evaluate how group decisions are shaped by two distinct dimensions of institutional design: 1. Factor 1: Voting Rules (Threshold for Agreement) (1) Majority Rule Treatment: A group decision is successfully reached and executed if a specific proposal receives support from at least two out of the three members (a two-thirds majority threshold). (2)Unanimity Rule Treatment: A group decision strictly requires the unanimous support of all three group members (a consensus threshold). 2. Factor 2: Voting Weights (Power Distribution) (1) Unweighted System Treatment: All three group members possess equal voting power (each member has exactly 1 vote). Group earnings from the selected tasks are distributed equally among all members. (2) Weighted System Treatment: Voting power is distributed asymmetrically. One randomly designated group leader is allocated 2 votes, while the remaining two ordinary members are allocated 1 vote each. Under this setup, a total of 4 votes exist within the group. To pass a proposal under the Majority Rule, a threshold of 3 votes is required. Earnings from the task are distributed proportionally based on each member's voting weight (the leader receives a higher share of the payoff). In all treatments, if a group fails to reach an agreement within 5 formal coordination rounds, a deadlock is declared, and all members receive a zero payoff for that specific task. Participants are randomly assigned to a 3-person group to complete two behavioral tasks: a Risky Choice (RC) task and a Risky-Intertemporal Choice (RIC) task. The study implements a 2 X 2 between-subject factorial design to evaluate how group decisions are shaped by two distinct dimensions of institutional design: 1. Factor 1: Voting Rules (Threshold for Agreement) (1) Majority Rule Treatment: A group decision is successfully reached and executed if a specific proposal receives support from at least two out of the three members (a two-thirds majority threshold). (2)Unanimity Rule Treatment: A group decision strictly requires the unanimous support of all three group members (a consensus threshold). 2. Factor 2: Voting Weights (Power Distribution) (1) Unweighted System Treatment: All three group members possess equal voting power (each member has exactly 1 vote). Group earnings from the selected tasks are distributed equally among all members. (2) Weighted System Treatment: Voting power is distributed asymmetrically. One randomly designated group leader is allocated 2 votes, while the remaining two ordinary members are allocated 1 vote each. Under this setup, a total of 4 votes exist within the group. To pass a proposal under the Majority Rule, a threshold of 3 votes is required. Earnings from the task are distributed equally based on each member's voting weight (each member receives an eqaul payoff). In all treatments, if a group fails to reach an agreement within 5 formal coordination rounds, a deadlock is declared, and all members receive a zero payoff for that specific task.
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