Public Goods Round
Your payoff0
Group total0
Average contribution0
Rounds0
Ready.
How this teaches game theory
Public-goods games model the tension between private incentives and collective welfare. Contributing benefits everyone, but each player may prefer to keep their own endowment and free-ride on others.
Complete scenario, mode, level, and concept guide
Scenarios
Basic public good
All contributions are multiplied and shared equally. Individual incentives can conflict with the group's best outcome.
Threshold project
The group receives a large public benefit only if total contributions reach a target.
Contribution with punishment
Very low contributors lose a small penalty, illustrating how institutions can change incentives.
Modes and levels
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Human vs Computer group | You choose one contribution; three bots choose theirs. |
| Human-controlled group | Your slider sets a common experimental contribution for all four players, useful for welfare comparisons. |
| Computer simulation | All four contributions are generated automatically. |
| Level 1 | Bots contribute generously. |
| Level 2 | Bots mix low, medium, and high contributions. |
| Level 3 | Bots reduce contributions when recent group contributions are high, demonstrating free-riding pressure. |
Observe: compare your private payoff with total group welfare. A personally profitable deviation can make the group worse off.