Heroism in a resource crisis: A simulation study

This study examined the effects of individual responsibility and communication in a simulated resource management problem. Subjects faced the problem of how to harvest resources from a regenerating pool so as to maximize their individual harvests without overexploiting the pool. One behavioral option open to individuals involved the sacrifice of a harvesting opportunity in order to add to the pool, thereby benefiting the rest of the group. A 2 x 2 factorial design was used to test the effect of this kind of heroism by (1) including a volunteer leader in the group and (2) including the possibility of communication. Results showed communication produced a significant increase in heroism and in group harvest, resulting from better management of the pool. The presence of a leader in a group had no overall effect on group performance. The implications of these findings for current resource management crises are discussed.