APPLYING RATIONAL AND EMOTIONAL APPROACHES TO MESSAGE CRAFTING FOR INFLUENCING INDIVIDUALS’ COOPERATIVE BEHAVIOR IN GROUP SETTINGS

Abstract

The present study, based on Game Theory, investigates the effect of communication messages on individuals’ willingness to cooperate in group settings. Existing literature suggests that different approaches to the decision-making process can influence outcomes and shape individuals’ cooperative behavior. Empirical studies have shown that external factors, including message framing and group identity cues, can affect fairnessoriented behavior and decision patterns. The study applied the Ultimatum Bargaining Game to examine how rational versus emotional message framing, combined with ingroup versus outgroup cues, influence cooperative decisions. A total of 122 university students were assigned to four message conditions. The results revealed significant differences in the distribution of offers and acceptance patterns across message models; however, mean offer sizes did not significantly differ between rational and emotional conditions, nor between ingroup and outgroup conditions. These findings suggest that message framing may influence the type of decisions individuals make, even when it does not alter overall generosity levels. A more detailed analysis of behavioral patterns indicates that rational models combined with ingroup cues elicit more fair and cooperative decisions. These results highlight communication messages as potential mechanisms for shaping cooperative behavior in group settings.