Economics Research Seminar – Boon Han Koh

Title: Milestones and Feedback in Dynamic Voluntary Contribution Games

Date: 15th February 2023

Time: 13:00 – 14:00

Location: NUBS 2.13

Boon Han Koh, University of East Anglia

Abstract: The provision of public goods often involves dynamic contributions over time. In this process, information provision can be structured in different ways to resolve the strategic uncertainty that decision makers face. We examine whether providing real-time feedback about progress or feedback based on the achievement of pre-determined intermediate goals (i.e., milestones) is more beneficial for increasing dynamic contributions to a public good. An important application is climate change, where, in international agreements, both types of feedback structures have been considered. Our results reveal that providing feedback about the attainment of milestones leads to a significant increase in average group contributions as compared to providing real-time feedback. This impact is largely driven by conditional co-operators. The magnitude of the milestones does not seem to make a difference.