PUBLIC GOOD PROVISION UNDER ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL UNCERTAINTY

Social dilemmas face people with various kinds of uncertainty. To exte nd earlier research on environmental uncertainty in resource dilemmas (i.e. uncertainty about the resource size), the present experiment exa mines the effects of Environmental Uncertainty (low, high uncertainty about the provision point) and Social Uncertainty (low, high uncertain ty about others' cooperation) in a public goon's dilemma. bl line with Social Comparison Theory, it was predicted and found that Environment al Uncertainty decreases cooperation only under High Social Uncertaint y, but not under Low Social Uncertainty. The detrimental effects of En vironmental Uncertainty carl be counteracted by uncertainty reducing i nformation on the provision point and/or others' contributions as well . (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.