AND BESIDES, I PROBABLY COULDNT HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE ANYWAY - JUSTIFICATION OF SOCIAL DILEMMA DEFECTION VIA PERCEIVED SELF-INEFFICACY

Prior theory on prosocial behavior has suggested that, when we act unc ooperatively for other reasons. we may justify that uncooperativeness by telling ourselves that ''... I probably couldn't have made a differ ence anyway,'' that is, by minimizing the efficacy of our cooperative actions. A pair of experiments examined this question in the context o f social dilemmas, where there are always clear disincentives to coope rate. In Experiment 1, it was found that making these disincentives st ronger not only decreased cooperation, but also decreased group member s' sense that acting cooperatively was efficacious for enhancing the g roup's welfare. An alternative explanation to a defensive, self-justif ication explanation for the latter finding was then identified. The re sults of Experiment 2 ruled out this alternative explanation as well a s providing additional evidence for a justification-via-inefficacy eff ect. The implications of such defensive processes for cooperation in s ocial dilemmas are discussed. (C) 1997 Academic Press.