The lab versus the virtual lab and virtual field—An experimental investigation of trust games with communication

Abstract

ABSTRACT. We study trust games in a virtual world environment and contrast results with laboratory studies, with and without personal interaction enabled by the virtual world platform. Particular attention is given to the motives that drive behavior in the various environments and to issues that are context dependent, particularly communication and social distance. We find that allowing for personal interaction through a virtual world interface increases the amount sent relative to laboratory results, but that subjects recruited in the virtual world give and return less than the laboratory control group with the same virtual world interface. THE LAB VERSUS THE VIRTUAL LAB AND VIRTUAL FIELD -AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF TRUST GAMES WITH COMMUNICATIONABSTRACT. We study trust games in a virtual world environment and contrast results with laboratory studies, with and without personal interaction enabled by the virtual world platform. Particular attention is given to the motives that drive behavior in the various environments and to issues that are context dependent, particularly communication and social distance. We find that allowing for personal interaction through a virtual world interface increases the amount sent relative to laboratory results, but that subjects recruited in the virtual world give and return less than the laboratory control group with the same virtual world interface.

Virtual world order: the economics and organizations of virtual pirates

“…Virtual-worlds research combines the control of laboratories and the ecological validity of fieldwork (Fiedler and Haruvy 2009). In virtual words we can observe everything a user does.…”

“…Although an exchange rate is set between real and virtual currency, and although virtual currencies provide analogous economic incentives, users typically handle only small absolute amounts of money in virtual worlds (Castronova 2001(Castronova , 2008Fiedler and Haruvy 2009). That the costs, say, of destroying virtual objects are small in real-world terms is one factor that contributes to the overall low costs of conflict.…”

Virtual Worlds

“…Fiedler and Haruvy (2009) have discussed the evolution of co-operation between individuals through experiments conducted within Second Life. The University of California, Los Angeles, as another example, has used the children"s virtual world Whyville in an experimental study of reactions to a measles-like epidemic affecting the avatars.…”

Challenges and Opportunities in Economics Experiments in Virtual Worlds

“…This can be done with the introduction of economic games studied in the laboratory to virtual world conditions, with attention to the particular environments, inhabitants, features, contextual effects, and norms of virtual worlds. Studies such as those of Atlas (2008); Atlas and Putterman (2011);Chesney, Chuah, and Hoffmann (2009);Fiedler (2009);Fiedler and Haruvy (2009) ;Fiedler, Haruvy, and Li (2010) ;Fullbrun, Richwien, and Sadrieh (2011);and Spann et al (2010) have brought the dictator, ultimatum, and trust games to virtual world environments. These authors have explored whether these games, when played in virtual worlds, exhibit similar patterns to those observed in the laboratory.…”

“…These authors have explored whether these games, when played in virtual worlds, exhibit similar patterns to those observed in the laboratory. They further explored how particular features that are critical in virtual worlds, such as communication and social interaction (Fiedler 2009;Fiedler and Haruvy 2009;Fiedler, Haruvy, and Li 2010) or contextual cues (Atlas and Putterman, 2011), affect outcomes.…”