This study investigates how political orientation influences actual social behavior using behavioral economics paradigms.
Participants: 454 large German sample members.
Methods: Public-Goods Game (PGG) and Trust Game (TG).
Key Results:
- Right-of-center supporters showed lower monetary transfers on average
- Left-of-center supporters demonstrated higher cooperative tendencies
- These behaviors correlated negatively with conservatism/self-assessment scores
- Patterns differed from those associated with right-of-center party policy support
Interestingly, these behavioral patterns diverged from results in the Lottery Game.
Findings:
The observed relationships appear distinct from previous studies linking ideology to game-theoretic behavior. The unique pattern emerges despite null findings regarding specific policy stances promoted by parties.
Conclusion:
Potential psychological mechanisms like Right-Wing-Authoritarianism (RWA) and Social-Dominance-Orientation (SDO) may explain these associations.
