Leiden University Student Repository

Filipowicz, Natalia (2024)

Negotiating Through Screens? The Role of Communication Channels in Group Negotiations

Bachelor thesis | Psychologie (BSc)

How does the medium of communication (face-to-face vs online) impact group negotiations, especially when considering different social motivations (pro-social vs pro-self)? Using the 'Aloha Beach Club' game as a scenario for three-person negotiations it was predicted that face- to-face negotiations lead to higher joint outcomes for pro-social groups due to the richer communication environment, while online negotiations benefit pro-self groups due to the lack of non-verbal cues. Additionally, it was anticipated that participants in face-to-face negotiations would report higher satisfaction levels upon completing the negotiation task. Results found that pro-social groups outperformed pro-self groups across all conditions. Moreover, face-to-face negotiations generally led to more satisfactory levels across pro-social groups, however these were not uniform across all participants, indicating the complex dynamics at play. This suggests that while the communication medium has an impact,...Show moreHow does the medium of communication (face-to-face vs online) impact group negotiations, especially when considering different social motivations (pro-social vs pro-self)? Using the 'Aloha Beach Club' game as a scenario for three-person negotiations it was predicted that face- to-face negotiations lead to higher joint outcomes for pro-social groups due to the richer communication environment, while online negotiations benefit pro-self groups due to the lack of non-verbal cues. Additionally, it was anticipated that participants in face-to-face negotiations would report higher satisfaction levels upon completing the negotiation task. Results found that pro-social groups outperformed pro-self groups across all conditions. Moreover, face-to-face negotiations generally led to more satisfactory levels across pro-social groups, however these were not uniform across all participants, indicating the complex dynamics at play. This suggests that while the communication medium has an impact, the social motives of the group play a more important role in determining negotiation outcomes and satisfaction levels.Show less

Author

Filipowicz, Natalia

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Specialisation

Social & Economic Decision Making

Supervisors

Steinel, W.

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en