The fear of conflict leads people to systematically avoid potentially valuable zero-sum situations
Abstract From interpersonal interactions to international arms races, game theorists and social scientists have long studied decision-making in zero-sum situations. Yet, what happens when people can freely choose whether to enter zero-sum situations in the first place? Thirteen studies (including fi...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-22849-y |
| _version_ | 1811197952154140672 |
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| author | Shai Davidai Michael W. White Genevieve Gregorich |
| author_facet | Shai Davidai Michael W. White Genevieve Gregorich |
| author_sort | Shai Davidai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract From interpersonal interactions to international arms races, game theorists and social scientists have long studied decision-making in zero-sum situations. Yet, what happens when people can freely choose whether to enter zero-sum situations in the first place? Thirteen studies (including five pre-registered) consistently document evidence for zero-sum aversion—the desire to avoid situations that are (or are believed to be) zero-sum. Across different contexts (economic games, market entry decisions, performance reviews, negotiations, job applications), samples (online participant pool, MBA students, community sample), and designs (within- and between-participant, real and hypothetical decisions), people avoid zero-sum situations that inversely link their and others’ outcomes as well as refrain from putting others in such situations. Because people fear that zero-sum situations will be rife with conflict, they exhibit zero-sum aversion even when doing so is costly. Finally, we find that people require zero-sum situations to provide substantially higher payoffs (e.g., compensation) to overcome their zero-sum aversion. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for interpersonal and intergroup conflict. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:23:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4d2ff472e48041f898366bbe555b08e4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:23:05Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-4d2ff472e48041f898366bbe555b08e42022-12-22T03:53:43ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-10-0112111510.1038/s41598-022-22849-yThe fear of conflict leads people to systematically avoid potentially valuable zero-sum situationsShai Davidai0Michael W. White1Genevieve Gregorich2Columbia Business School, Columbia UniversityColumbia Business School, Columbia UniversityColumbia Business School, Columbia UniversityAbstract From interpersonal interactions to international arms races, game theorists and social scientists have long studied decision-making in zero-sum situations. Yet, what happens when people can freely choose whether to enter zero-sum situations in the first place? Thirteen studies (including five pre-registered) consistently document evidence for zero-sum aversion—the desire to avoid situations that are (or are believed to be) zero-sum. Across different contexts (economic games, market entry decisions, performance reviews, negotiations, job applications), samples (online participant pool, MBA students, community sample), and designs (within- and between-participant, real and hypothetical decisions), people avoid zero-sum situations that inversely link their and others’ outcomes as well as refrain from putting others in such situations. Because people fear that zero-sum situations will be rife with conflict, they exhibit zero-sum aversion even when doing so is costly. Finally, we find that people require zero-sum situations to provide substantially higher payoffs (e.g., compensation) to overcome their zero-sum aversion. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for interpersonal and intergroup conflict.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-22849-y |
| spellingShingle | Shai Davidai Michael W. White Genevieve Gregorich The fear of conflict leads people to systematically avoid potentially valuable zero-sum situations Scientific Reports |
| title | The fear of conflict leads people to systematically avoid potentially valuable zero-sum situations |
| title_full | The fear of conflict leads people to systematically avoid potentially valuable zero-sum situations |
| title_fullStr | The fear of conflict leads people to systematically avoid potentially valuable zero-sum situations |
| title_full_unstemmed | The fear of conflict leads people to systematically avoid potentially valuable zero-sum situations |
| title_short | The fear of conflict leads people to systematically avoid potentially valuable zero-sum situations |
| title_sort | fear of conflict leads people to systematically avoid potentially valuable zero sum situations |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-22849-y |
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