Social value orientations

Social value orientations (also referred to as social motives, social values, or value orientations) is a social psychology motivational theory of choice behavior in game situations advanced by David M. Messick and Charles G. McClintock in 1968.^[1] Unlike the traditional rational choice theory in mainstream economics, which assumes that all individuals make choices that maximize their own payoffs in social dilemma situations, social value orientations consider personality differences across individuals which leads to a range of preferences for one’s own well-being and the well-being of others.^[2]

Social Value Orientations Categories

Social value orientations are based on the assumption that individuals pursue different goals when making decisions for which the outcomes affect others. Social psychologists generally distinguish between five types of social value orientations. The main difference between each category is the extent to which one cares about his or her own payoffs and that of the other in social dilemma situations.

Altruistic: Desire to maximize the welfare of the other
Cooperative: Desire to maximize joint outcomes
Individualistic: Desire to maximize own welfare with no concern of that of the other
Competitive: Desire to maximize own welfare relative to that of the other
Aggressive: Desire to minimize the welfare of the other

Most individuals are either cooperative or individualistic.^[3]

Decomposed Game Technique

The Decomposed Game technique is an experimental instrument developped by social psychologists to assess one's social value orientation.^[3]^[4] Two variations of this technique exist. The first asks subjects to choose between 24 pairs of options that allocate money to the subject and the "other". The 24 pairs of outcomes correspond to equally spaced points on a circle centered at the origin of a plane. The vertical axis (y) measures the amount of points or money allocated to oneself and the horizontal axis (x) measures the amount allocated to the unknown other. Each pair of outcome correspond to two adjacent points on the circle. Adding up a subject's 24 choices yields a motivational vector in the circle. Depending on the location of the motivational vector in the circle, a corresponding social value orientation can be identified for a subject.

The second variation of this technique asks subjects to choose between a series of nine trios of options. Each option corresponds to one the most commonly observed value orientation,i.e., cooperative, individualistic, and competitive. If a subject selected six or more consistent choices, then his or her social value orientation can be identified.

References

^ Messick, D. M. (1968). "Motivational Bases of Choice in Experimental Games". Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 4: 1–25. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
^ Offerman, T. (1996). "Value Orientations, Expectations and Voluntary Contributions in Public Goods". The Economic Journal. 106 (437): 817–845. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
^ ^a ^b Griesinger, D. W. (1973). "Toward a model of interpersonal motivation in experimental games". Behavioral Science. 18: 173–188. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
^ Liebrand, W. B. G. (1984). "'The effect of social motives, communication and group size on behaviour in an n-person multi stage mixed motive game". European Journal of Social Psychology. 14: 239–264.