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Experiment on the Demand for Encompassment

Author

Listed:
  • Klein, Daniel

    (George Mason University, Ratio Institute)

  • Pan, Xiaofei

    (George Mason University)

  • Houser, Daniel

    (George Mason University)

  • Schwarz, Gonzalo

    (George Mason University)

Abstract
The idea of political community is appealing on a gut-level. Hayek suggested that certain genes and instincts still dispose us toward the ethos and mentality of the hunter-gatherer band, and that modern forms of political collectivism have, in part, been atavistic reassertions of such tendencies. Picking up on Hayek, Klein (2005) has suggested a combination of yearnings: 1) a yearning for coordinated sentiment (like Smithian sympathy); and 2) a yearning that the sentiment encompass the whole group. This paper reports on an experiment designed to explore the demand for encompassment by having subjects sing together. In each trial, one person in the room was designated not to sing unless every one of the others in the room had made a payment sufficient so as to have that person sing. Subjects chose to sacrifice money to achieve encompassment 47.4 percent of the time, with 59.6 percent of the subjects doing so in at least one trial. An exit questionnaire showed that subjects’ chief reason for making such a sacrifice was a belief that the singing would be more enjoyable if it encompassed the whole group, and reported enjoyment is significantly higher with encompassment. We discuss the experiment as a parable for a penchant toward political collectivism.

Suggested Citation

  • Klein, Daniel & Pan, Xiaofei & Houser, Daniel & Schwarz, Gonzalo, 2011. "Experiment on the Demand for Encompassment," Ratio Working Papers 163, The Ratio Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:ratioi:0163
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Paul H. Rubin, 2003. "Folk Economics," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 70(1), pages 157-171, July.
    2. James Buchanan, 2005. "Afraid to be free: Dependency as desideratum," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 124(1), pages 19-31, July.
    3. Klein, Daniel, 2004. "The People’s Romance: Why People Love Government (as much as they do)," Ratio Working Papers 31, The Ratio Institute, revised 11 May 2005.
    4. Hodgson, Geoffrey M., 1991. "Hayek's Theory of Cultural Evolution: An Evaluation in the Light of Vanberg's Critique," Economics and Philosophy, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(1), pages 67-82, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Encompassment; political psychology; Hayek; the people’s romance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A13 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Social Values
    • H89 - Public Economics - - Miscellaneous Issues - - - Other
    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General

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