Heterogeneities, Information, and Conflict Resolution: Experimental Evidence on Sharing Contracts

Abstract

Subsequently published as: "Heterogeneities, Information, and Conflict Resolution: Experimental Evidence on Sharing Contracts," Journal of Theoretical Politics 6(4), 1994, 495-525.

"A growing body of field and experimental literature provides considerable evidence that individuals may evolve and adopt self-governing institutions that enable conflict resolution. A principle focus of this paper is the role of heterogeneity in individual attributes as an obstacle to conflict resolution. Results are presented from two ongoing research programs: (1) individual and group decision making in the context of a commonly held resource that is subtractable in units of appropriation, and (2) ex post negotiation of surplus shares in incomplete contracts. Both programs have been designed to investigate conflict resolution when subjects are heterogenous in costly investments they have incurred."