ETHICAL SHIFT IN PRISONERS DILEMMA GAME

Twenty three-man groups made of ROTC cadets were compared with 20 individuals when playing against a “dummy” strategy of 50% cooperation over 50 trials of the Prisoner’s Dilemma Game. The 20 triads were further divided into two conditions: one with 10 equal status triads, the other with 10 triads comprised of unit commanders with two of their principal subordinates. Results showed groups to be less “trustworthy” than individuals; this was interpreted to be an “ethical shift.” There were no significant differences between triad types. © 1969, Psychonomic Journals, Inc.. All rights reserved.