Date of Award

1996

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Scott Allison

Abstract

Previous studies on resource-sharing behavior have revealed a number of factors which influence the decision-making process. For example, Allison and Messick (1990) found payoffs, resource divisibility, fate control, and social values to be significant factors influencing resource-sharing decisions. Information sharing behavior, however, remains relatively unexamined. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of three situational cues on information sharing behavior, including the type of information at hand (ambiguous or concrete), the amount of time allotted to complete a task, and the availability of a team of experts. Results indicated a two-way interaction between the type of information and target (partner or competitor), F(1, 76) = 39.28, p < .001, demonstrating a tendency for individuals to share concrete information with their partners and ambiguous information with their competitors regardless of the given time frame or availability of a team of experts. These findings contradict those of Allison and Eylon (1996), which showed that participants preferred to share ambiguous information with their partners and concrete information with their competitors. Possible explanations for these findings and suggestions for future research involving information sharing behavior are discussed.

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS