Thank You for Agreeing to Participate in This Research Experiment on Group Decision Making

Appendix C: Instructions Screens for Voting Game Experiment

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this research experiment on group decision making. If you follow the instructions carefully, you can make a considerable amount of money.

You will be paid in cash for your participation at the end of the experiment. Different participants may earn different amounts. What you earn depends partly on your decisions, partly on the decisions of others, and partly on chance. So it is important that you fully understand the instructions before we begin.

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We will start with a brief instruction period. During the instruction period, you will be given a complete description of the experiment and will be shown how to use the computers.

If you have any questions, raise your hand, and an experimenter will come and assist you privately.

There will be a short comprehension quiz after the instruction period before we can begin the paid sessions. It is important that you do not talk or try to communicate in any way with other participants during the experiment.

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This experiment consists of two different 50 round sessions.

At the end of the second session, you will draw a card. This card will randomly determine which of the two sessions you will be paid for, plus the show-up fee of $5.00.

Everyone will be paid in private, and you are under no obligation to tell others how much you earned.

Your earnings during the experiment are denominated in POINTS.

Your DOLLAR earnings are determined by multiplying your earnings in POINTS by a conversion rate. In this experiment, the conversion rate is 0.0037, meaning that 100 POINTS is worth 37 cents.

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TWO GROUP TASKS:

• In the first part of the experiment, everyone will participate in two tasks. In each task, everyone will be placed in one of two groups.

1 • Therefore, all participants will be members of two groups: one group based on behavior in the first task and another group based on behavior in the second task.

• Accordingly, some members of your two groups may be different and some may be the same.

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ROUNDS:

There are 15 total participants in today’s experiment.

Each round will have 15 participants or less, who will be randomly selected by the computer.

Therefore, some people who are selected to participate in one round with you may not be selected to participate with you in the next round.

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DECISION CHOICE

• In each round, two groups from either the first task or from the second task will be shown on the screen. These are the two groups that determine earnings in that round.

• In each round, all participants will be asked to choose either X or Y. Your earnings depend on your choice of either X or Y, and on which group has the most members choosing X.

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2 EARNINGS EXAMPLE:

Here is an Example of how your earnings in each round are determined by your choice of X or Y. Suppose the two groups shown on the screen are APPLES and GRAPES.

For this example, you are in group APPLES. Suppose you choose X.

• If group APPLES has more members choosing X than group GRAPES, then you will earn 105 points • If group GRAPES has more members choosing X than group APPLES, then you will earn 5 points. • If both APPLES & GRAPES have the same number of members choosing X, then you will earn 55 points

The table below describes your earnings.

ROUND: APPLES & GRAPES

YOU ARE APPLES MORE OF APPLES YOUR EARNINGS (APPLES) GRAPES EARNINGS & CHOOSES X THAN YOU CHOOSE: GRAPES?

YES 105 5

NO 5 105

TIE BETWEEN 55 55 APPLES & GRAPES

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Y-BONUS

Alternatively, suppose you choose Y. Choosing Y allows you to receive extra points called the Y-Bonus.

This is how your personal Y-bonus works.

3 • The amount of your personal Y-bonus is assigned randomly by the computer and is shown on your decision screen. In any given round you have an equal chance of being assigned any Y-bonus between 0 and 55 points.

• Your Y-bonus in each round does not depend on your Y-bonus or decisions in previous rounds, or on the Y- bonuses and decisions of other participants.

• Since Y-bonuses are assigned separately for each participant, different participants will typically have different Y-bonuses.

• While you are told your own Y-bonus, you are never told the Y-bonuses of other participants. All you know is that each of the other participants has a Y-bonus that is some number between 0 and 55.

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Let’s continue with this example of a decision round between APPLES & GRAPES.

Remember, in this example round, you are in group APPLES. This time, suppose you choose Y.

• If group APPLES has more members choosing X than group GRAPES, then you will earn 105 points plus your Y bonus • If group GRAPES has more members choosing X than group APPLES, then you will earn 5 points plus your Y bonus. • If both APPLES & GRAPES have the same number of members choosing X, then you will earn 55 points plus your Y bonus

The table below describes your earnings.

ROUND: APPLES & GRAPES

YOU ARE APPLES MORE OF APPLES YOUR EARNINGS (APPLES) GRAPES EARNINGS & CHOOSES X THAN YOU CHOOSE: GRAPES?

YES 105 5

NO 5 105

TIE BETWEEN 55 55 APPLES & GRAPES

YES 105 + Y 5

NO 5 + Y 105

TIE BETWEEN 55 + Y 55 APPLES & GRAPES 4 [NEXT]

DECISION SCREEN EXAMPLE

Next you will be shown an example screen of the Decision Screen you will see in the actual experiment. The text below the screen will explain the highlighted portion of the screen.

For this example, the two groups from the first task are : APPLES & GRAPES.

The two groups from the second task are: DEER & ELK.

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DECISION SCREEN EXAMPLE

DECISION SCREEN ROUND 1 OF 50

THIS DECISION TASK: APPLES & GRAPES

• This part of the screen tells you what two groups determine earnings for this round. In this example, APPLES & GRAPES determine earnings, as listed in the box titled “THIS DECISION TASK”.

• Remember, for each round, the computer will randomly select which two groups determine the earnings in that round. So be sure to pay attention to this part of the screen.

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5 DECISION SCREEN EXAMPLE

DECISION SCREEN ROUND 1 OF 50

THIS DECISION TASK: YOU ARE A MEMBER OF GROUPS: APPLES & GRAPES APPLES & DEER

This part of the screen reminds you of what two groups you are in. For this example, you are in groups APPLES & DEER.

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6 DECISION SCREEN EXAMPLE

DECISION SCREEN ROUND 1 OF 50

THIS DECISION TASK: YOU ARE A MEMBER OF GROUPS: APPLES & GRAPES APPLES & DEER

Y-BONUS: 35

• This part of the screen tells you what your personal Y-Bonus is for this round. In this example round, your personal Y- bonus is 35.

• Remember, the computer randomly selects your personal Y-bonus that can range anywhere between 0 and 55 points for each round. Previous decisions or Y-bonuses do not affect your Y-bonus in the current round.

• Also remember that while you are told your own Y-bonus, you are never told the Y-bonuses of other participants. All you know is that each of the other participants has a Y-bonus that is some number between 0 and 55.

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7 DECISION SCREEN EXAMPLE

DECISION SCREEN ROUND 1 OF 50

THIS DECISION TASK: YOU ARE A MEMBER OF GROUPS: APPLES & GRAPES APPLES & DEER

Y-BONUS: 35

% OF TOTAL PARTICIPANTS IN THIS ROUND:

APPLES : 45-55% of total participants GRAPES: 45-55% of total participants

DEER: 75%-85% of total participants ELK : 15%-25% of total participants

• Since all participants are a member of two groups, one based on the first task and one based on the second task, this part of the screen tells you the relative sizes of all groups in this round. However, earnings in each round are only determined by the two groups listed in the top right corner box of the screen, as described earlier.

• In this example, the APPLES & GRAPES make up 45-55% of the total participants in this round. DEER make up 75%- 85% of the total participants in this round & ELK make up 15%-25% of the total participants in this round.

• Since APPLES & GRAPES are the two groups listed in the top right corner box, these are the two groups that determine earnings in this round.

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8 DECISION SCREEN EXAMPLE

DECISION SCREEN ROUND 1 OF 50

THIS DECISION TASK: YOU ARE A MEMBER OF GROUPS: APPLES & GRAPES APPLES & DEER

Y-BONUS: 35

APPLES: 45-55% of total participants GRAPES: 45-55% of total participants

DEER: 75-85% of total participants ELK : 15-25% of total participants

YOUR CHOICE:

X Y

This part of the screen gives you your choices of either X or Y. You can make your selection by clicking on your choice with your mouse.

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9 DECISION SCREEN EXAMPLE

DECISION SCREEN ROUND 1 OF 50

THIS DECISION TASK: YOU ARE A MEMBER OF GROUPS: APPLES & GRAPES APPLES & DEER

Y-BONUS: 35

APPLES: 45-55% of total participants GRAPES: 45-55% of total participants

DEER: 75-85% of total participants ELK : 15-25% of total participants

YOUR CHOICE:

X Y

Here is a review of the information you will see on the Decision Screen in the experiment. • Which two groups determine earnings for the Decision Task in this round • A reminder of the two groups of which you are a member • Your personal Y-Bonus • The relative size of groups • Your selection of your choice

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EXAMPLE ROUND

Now that you have finished with the instructions, you will work through a brief example which will show you how the earnings are calculated. You will then take a brief quiz. Once everyone has completed the quiz, we will be ready to begin the experiment.

For this example, let’s continue to use the groups: • APPLES & GRAPES • DEER & ELK

In this example, you are still in groups APPLES & DEER.

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10 EXAMPLE ROUND

DECISION SCREEN ROUND 1 OF 1

THIS DECISION TASK: YOU ARE A MEMBER OF GROUPS: DEER & ELK APPLES & DEER

Y-BONUS: 27

APPLES: 70-80% of total participants in this round GRAPES: 20 -30% of total participants in this round

DEER: 45-55% of total participants in this round ELK : 45 -55% of total participants in this round

YOUR CHOICE:

X Y

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11 (This screen and the next screen are ordered based on choice of X or Y).

You chose X. Remember, you are in group DEER.

• If group DEER had more members choosing X than group ELK, then you would earn 105 points.

• If group ELK had more members choosing X than group DEER , then you would earn 5 points.

• If both groups DEER & ELK had the same number of members choosing X, then you would earn 55 points.

ROUND: DEER & ELK

YOU ARE DEER MORE OF DEER YOUR EARNINGS (DEER) ELK EARNINGS & CHOOSES X THAN ELK? YOU CHOOSE:

YES 105 5

NO 5 105

TIE BETWEEN 55 55 DEER & ELK

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12 Alternatively, suppose you chose Y. Remember, you are in group DEER.

• If group DEER had more members choosing X than group ELK, then you would earn 105 points plus your Y bonus in this round of 27. Your total points in this round would be: 105 + 27 = 132 points.

• If group ELK had more members choosing X than group DEER, then you would earn 5 points plus your Y bonus of 27 in this round. Your total points in this round would be: 5 + 27 = 32 points.

• If both groups DEER & ELK had the same number of members choosing X, then you would earn 55 points plus your Y bonus of 27 in this round. Your total points in this round would be: 55 + 27 = 82 points.

ROUND: DEER & ELK

YOU ARE DEER MORE OF DEER YOUR EARNINGS (DEER) ELK EARNINGS & CHOOSES X THAN ELK? YOU CHOOSE:

YES 105 + Y 5

NO 5 + Y 105

TIE BETWEEN 55 + Y 55 DEER & ELK

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You are now ready for your quiz.

Please read each question carefully and mark the correct answer. Once everyone has taken the quiz, we will begin the experiment.

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13 For this quiz, the round is between APPLES & GRAPES.

1. If more of group APPLES chooses X than group GRAPES, how many points would APPLES members get if they chose X? ( ) 5 ( ) 55 ( ) 60 ( ) 105 ( ) 160

2. In the same situation, how many points would APPLES members get if they chose Y? For this quiz, your Y-bonus = 20. ( ) 25 ( ) 75 ( ) 80 ( ) 125 ( ) 180

3. If less of group APPLES chooses X than group GRAPES , how many points would APPLES members get if they chose X? ( ) 5 ( ) 55 ( ) 60 ( ) 105 ( ) 160 ROUND: APPLES & GRAPES

CHOICE MORE OF APPLES APPLES GRAPES CHOOSES X THAN EARNINGS EARNINGS GRAPES?

YES 105 5

NO 5 105

TIE BETWEEN 55 55 APPLES & GRAPES

YES 105 + Y 5

NO 5 + Y 105

TIE BETWEEN 55 + Y 55 APPLES & GRAPES

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Question #1: Your answer is Correct/ Incorrect – (depending on their answer) • If more of group APPLES chooses X than group GRAPES, and if APPLES members chose X, they get 105 points.

Question #2: Your answer is Correct/ Incorrect – (depending on their answer) • If more of group APPLES chooses X than group GRAPES, and if APPLES members chose Y, they get 125 points.

Question #3: Your answer is Correct/ Incorrect – (depending on their answer) • If more of group GRAPES chooses X than group APPLES , and if APPLES members chose X, they get 5 points.

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14 We are now ready to begin the experiment.

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GROUP TASKS

In this section, everyone will participate in two tasks.

Your choices in these two tasks will determine each of your two group identities.

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GROUP TASK 1

Please estimate the number of dots you see on the following screen. The dot screen will show for 8 seconds, and then you will have a chance to select your choice.

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GROUP TASK 1

You can now make your selection of the number of dots on the previous screen.

 42  66  98  124  143  150

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The task you and all the participants just performed examined the speed that people made a choice with and not the accuracy of the response. All responses were sorted according to speed. You and some of the other participants that had similar response times are in group (ALPHA). The rest of the participants had response times that were similar to each other and are in group (BETA). This (ALPHA) group identity is one of your two group identities.

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15 In this next task you will be shown a number of cards. Please select one.

Please click on the card of your choice with your mouse.

< they make their choice>

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Every participant has made their selection. Your second group identity is based on this selection. Your choice places you in the (BLUE) group with others who made similar choices. The rest of the participants are in group (GREEN).

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• You have now completed the two tasks that determined your two group identities.

• Based on the dot estimation task, you are in group (ALPHA) along with others that made similar choices. All other participants are in group (BETA).

• Based on the card selection task, you are also in group (BLUE) with other participants that made a similar choice. All other participants are in group (GREEN).

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The paid sessions will follow the same rules as the examples we worked through.

– There will be 50 rounds in this session.

– In each round of this session, two groups are listed on the screen as determining the earnings in that round.

– In each round, the computer will randomly select how many members of each group will participate in that round. The total number of participants in each round can vary from 6, 7, 8, 9, to 15 participants. There are a total of 15 participants today.

– You may choose X or Y. If you choose X, your payoff will be 105 POINTS if your group has more members choosing X than the other group, 5 POINTS if your group has fewer members choosing X, and 55 POINTS if it is a tie. If you choose Y, you will also receive the Y-bonus shown on your screen.

16 Read Aloud by Experimenter:

Are there any questions before we begin the decision rounds? [Answer questions.]

We will now begin the decision rounds.

(Subjects participate in 50 decision rounds & then complete a questionnaire while their payment is calculated. Subjects are paid anonymously one at a time.)