Effects of a chance task outcome on the offers in the ultimatum game: The mediation role of emotions

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of a chance task outcome on the offers made at the Ultimatum Game (UG). In addition, the putative mediation role of incidental (unrelated to UG) and integral (elicited by UG) emotions and beliefs was examined. The incidental emotions were induced by manipulating the task outcome in a positive or negative direction. As concerns integral emotions and beliefs, we took into account those supposed to underlie the offers amount, such as empathy, sense of fairness, fear of rejection etc. Results showed that a negative outcome led proposers to decrease the offers amount and that this effect was mediated by integral emotions and beliefs. Instead, positive incidental emotions produced suppression effects.