The Social Dilemma of Self-Reliance

Project Information

SELFRELIANCE

Grant agreement ID: 101039296

DOI

10.3030/101039296

Project terminated on 3 August 2022

EC signature date 28 January 2022

Start date 1 February 2022

End date 31 January 2027

Funded under

• European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 499 984,00

EU contribution

€ 1 499 984,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITEIT LEIDEN
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SELFRELIANCE (The Social Dilemma of Self-Reliance)

Reporting period: 2022-02-01 to 2024-07-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Cooperation plays a critical role in successfully tackling global challenges. From addressing and preparing for climate change to mitigating the negative impact of pandemics, cooperation helps groups to address and overcome shared challenges. Yet, maintaining cooperation within and between groups can be challenged by free-riding and coordination problems. This project is aimed at contributing to our psychological understanding of how groups face cooperation problems and how they can successfully organise collective action.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

So far, we ran a novel laboratory experiment in which we confronted groups of participants with a cooperation dilemma in a controlled environment. This research project allowed us to delineate under what circumstances cooperation can develop not only within, but also between groups. In combination with a mathematical model, we further developed a theory that allows us to define the process under which individuals successfully cooperate within groups and can even transition to cooperation beyond their respective group boundaries.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The model and preliminary empirical evidence allows to draw conclusions about the requirements for the emergence of cooperation within and between groups. Yet, both approaches need to be tested further and ideally in more diverse population under more realistic circumstances.