Social dilemmas occur when there is a conflict between self-interests and collective interests within a group (van Lange et al., 2013). The volunteer’s dilemma (VoD) is a unique type of social...Show moreSocial dilemmas occur when there is a conflict between self-interests and collective interests within a group (van Lange et al., 2013). The volunteer’s dilemma (VoD) is a unique type of social dilemma which requires at least one person to cooperate to realize a public good (Weesie & Franzen, 1998). This study examines the influence of using gain frames versus loss frames on participant behavior in volunteer’s dilemmas. Additionally, this study looks into how the personality variable social value orientation (SVO), which determines if a person is prosocial or proself, impacts volunteering decisions. We expected that gain frames would result in more volunteering than loss frames, and that prosocials would volunteer more than proselfs. The VoD game was conducted online via the platform oTree. 102 participants took part in this study. The results showed no statistically significant effects for neither the framing conditions nor the SVO scores. For future research, it is advised that the VoD game offers a higher payoff to cause a more distinctive response between different frames. Also, researchers should acknowledge that framing effects differ for gender as well as the possibility that the risk assessment in many social dilemmas, including VoD, may be ambiguous. This results in not being able to see framing effects. Since the experiment mostly appeals to participants’ economic motives, more research is needed to determine how relational motives can also be triggered.Show less
