NGS2 – Montage

The NGS2 – Montage program aims to develop methods and tools for the “next generation” of social science by completing several experiments involving collective identity. Collective identity is the way individuals perceive themselves in their environment with respect to the various groups they may belong to and subsequently take collective action or display collective behaviors related to this identity. Aspects of theoretical modeling, hypothesis generation, and experimentation are included in the program – this IRB application concerns one experiment in the latter category. In this first experiment, we will evaluate the formation and persistence of collective identity through a three-phase experiment involving on-line team-building, a public goods game and a group-ultimatum game (other experiments will be covered in subsequent IRB applications). We will test hypotheses related to theories in collective identity with these experiments and compare the outcomes to our predictive models.

The objectives of this proposed experimental framework our three-fold:

a. Initiate and develop a collective identity with a team-building exercise.

b. Quantify the generated collective identity based on contributions to the group during the public goods game.

c. Characterize the effects of different instantiations of collective identity using the group ultimatum game.

Our research has the potential for significant contributions not only to understanding collective identity and various aspects of its effects on individual and group behavior but also furthers the processes and methods by which social science is conducted.

This project is a collaboration with the Virginia Tech University team of the Discovery Analytics Center.

Investigators:

• Josh Epstein (Johns Hopkins University)
• Leslie DeChurch (Northwestern University)
• Madhav Marathe (Co-PI; Virginia Tech)
• Michael Macy (Cornell University)
• Naren Ramakrishnan (Co-PI; Virginia Tech)
• Noshir Contractor