Private Provision of a Public Good: Cooperation and Altruism of Internet Forum Users

International Journal of the Commons, vol 9, No 2, pp. 720-743, 2015

24 Pages Posted: 22 Feb 2016

See all articles by Alejandro Ros-Galvez

Alejandro Ros-Galvez

Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia

Alfonso Rosa-Garcia

Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia

Date Written: September 2015

Abstract

We run an experiment with users of Internet forums. In a dictator game, we find that the level of altruism is positively related to the activity in the forum. In a public good game, there is no relation between cooperation in the game and contribution to the content of the forum. Subjects are not more altruistic with partners from the same forum but do cooperate more with them. These results suggest that the public good provided in Internet forums is mainly provided by a group of unconditional altruistic users, and that the sense of belonging supports the cooperation in that provision.

Keywords: Altruism, belonging, cooperation, Internet forums, public good provision

Suggested Citation

Ros-Galvez, Alejandro and Rosa-Garcia, Alfonso, Private Provision of a Public Good: Cooperation and Altruism of Internet Forum Users (September 2015). International Journal of the Commons, vol 9, No 2, pp. 720-743, 2015, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2735654

Alejandro Ros-Galvez

Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia ( email )

Avenida Jerónimos, 135
Guadalupe
Murcia, 30107
Spain

Alfonso Rosa-Garcia (Contact Author)

Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia ( email )

Avenida Jerónimos, 135
Guadalupe
Murcia, 30107
Spain

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