Understanding the factors that drive cooperative behavior is crucial for fostering collaboration in society. This study explores the relationship between personality traits, political attitudes, and cooperative behavior using the Public Good Game (PGG). Specifically, we examine how Machiavellianism and Light Triad traits (Kantianism, Humanism, and Belief in Humanity) as well as political orientations influence contributions to a shared resource pool and participants’ estimates of others’ contributions. The study also investigates the impact of incentivized estimation accuracy on these behaviors.
We hypothesize that Machiavellianism and conservative political attitudes are negatively associated with cooperation, while Light Triad traits and liberal attitudes show positive associations. Additionally, we explore whether incentivizing accurate estimates reduces the influence of personality and political orientation on beliefs about others’ cooperation. Using a Finnish citizen pool sample of 250 participants, the study employs a randomized design with incentivized and non-incentivized conditions to analyze contributions and belief accuracy.
This research contributes to understanding the psychological and ideological underpinnings of cooperative behavior and belief formation. Insights from this work have implications for addressing societal challenges, such as political polarization, and enhancing collaboration in diverse groups.