title: Justifying decisions in social dilemmas: justification pressures and tacit coordination under environmental uncertainty.
abstract: This article investigates how justification pressures influence harvesting decisions in common resource dilemmas. The authors argue that when a division rule prescribes a specific harvest level, such as under environmental certainty, people adhere more strongly to this division rule when they have to justify their decisions to fellow group members. When a division rule does not prescribe a specific harvest level, such as under environmental uncertainty, people restrict their harvests when they have to justify their decisions to fellow group members. The results of two experimental studies corroborate this line of reasoning. The findings are discussed in terms of tacit coordination. The authors specify conditions under which justification pressures may or may not facilitate efficient coordination.
authors.affiliation: Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. KWAADSTENIET@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
authors.forename: Erik W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: de Kwaadsteniet
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.forename: Arjaan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wit
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Cremer
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Rooij
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012925:Social Conformity; D012941:Social Responsibility; D035501:Uncertainty