The Role of Choice in Social Dilemma Experiments

On the basis of problems related to asymmetric information, self-governance has been proposed and often empirically found to be superior to the external imposition of rules in social dilemma situations. The present paper suggests and experimentally analyses a different line of argument, namely to what extent behavioral aspects can explain these findings. We study this hypothesis using the simplest, most general dilemma form: the prisoner’s dilemma (PD). We compare behavior when players are given the possibility of choosing between two different representations of the same PD, to behavior when players are externally assigned to play a specific game. We find that cooperation rates are significantly higher in the games that were chosen.Freedom of Choice, Self-governance, Social Dilemmas, Framing

The Role of Choice in Social Dilemma Experiments

On the basis of problems related to asymmetric information, self-governance has been proposed and often empirically found to be superior to the external imposition of rules in social dilemma situations. The present paper suggests and experimentally analyses a different line of argument, namely to what extent behavioral aspects can explain these findings. We study this hypothesis using the simplest, most general dilemma form: the prisoner's dilemma (PD). We compare behavior when players are given the possibility of choosing between two different representations of the same PD, to behavior when players are externally assigned to play a specific game. We find that cooperation rates are significantly higher in the games that were chosen.Freedom of Choice, Self-governance, Social Dilemmas, Framing

The Role of Rivalry. Public Goods versus Common-Pool Resources

Despite a large theoretical and empirical literature on public goods and common-pool resources, a systematic comparison of these two types of social dilemmas is lacking. In fact, there is considerable confusion about these two types of dilemma situations. As a result, they are often treated alike. In this paper we argue that the degree of rivalry is the fundamental difference between the two games. We show that rivalry implies that both games cannot be represented by the same game theoretic structure. Fur-thermore, we experimentally study behavior in a quadratic public good and a quadratic common-pool resource game with identical Pareto opti-mum but divergent interior Nash equilibria. The results show that partici-pants clearly perceive the differences in rivalry. Aggregate behavior in both games starts relatively close to Pareto efficiency and converges to the respective Nash equilibrium.

Differentiation of evolutionary stages in fog life cycles based on microphysical properties – implications for the operation of novel cloud radar profilers

Enlarged knowledge of the spatiotemporal distribution of fog and low stratus (FLS) is of great value in regards to traffic safety and air quality control. Not only the horizontal visibility in fog but also the dissolving power of harmful pollutants in boundary clouds depend on the prevailing small droplets. Since the drop size spectrum (DSD) of both phenomena varies spatially with the vertical extent of these clouds and temporally from formation to dissipation, nowcasting and forecasting of FLS is faced with difficult challenges. Present models have need of theoretical assumptions on vertical microphysical profiles and their evolution during fog life cycle for their computations since real-time data on these cannot be provided contemporaneously so far. According to COST actions 720 and 722 novel ground-based microwave FMCW cloud RADAR profilers possess the instrumental requirements for deriving microphysical properties such as liquid water content (LWC) from radar reflectivity (Z); but no implemented retrievals have been developed so far. Since for the derivation of vertical LWC-profiles from Z detailed information on prevailing DSD are required, the evolution of the latter as a function of the fog life cycle has to be considered. An accurate classification of fog evolutionary stages, accompanied with phase-specific DSD, is a necessary condition for a proper usage of the microwave RADAR profiler. Otherwise, the derivation of vertical LWC-profiles from Z would underlie too big inaccuracies. Hence, the major aim of the thesis was the investigation of the temporal dynamics of fog microphysics with emphasis on DSD over its whole life cycle. This intention was based on the hypothesis that it is possible to separate consecutive evolutionary stages temporally within fog life cycle on the basis of fog microphysics such as DSD at the ground as well as in vertical profiles. Novel findings of the current thesis are: 1. It is possible to derive vertical LWC-profiles in FLS directly from RADAR reflectivity of a novel 94 GH FMCW cloud RADAR profiler since a direct but non-linear relationship between Z and LWC could be approved whereby further information on the prevailing drop size distribution has to be presumed. 2. Fog occurrences can be separated in three consecutive phases during its life cycle by means of an innovative statistical approach that relies on measured microphysical fog properties or horizontal visibility at the ground. 3. According to balloon-borne measurements of vertical LWC-profiles it is legitimate to interpolate FLS life cycle phases from ground- based measurements of microphysical properties and horizontal visibility in their whole vertical extension. The results of the thesis have manifold benefits for climate research and operational FLS applications. The identification of cloud geometrical thickness and thus the distinction between fog and low stratus by means of optical satellite retrievals has to be improved with regards to their reliability. The introduced approach for the classification of evolutionary stages during fog life cycle based on microphysical properties is a valuable step towards the development of a method for the derivation of vertical LWC-profiles from novel FMCW microwave cloud RADAR profilers. These are notably suitable for the exploration of microphysical properties of FLS with high temporal resolution. The resultant findings about the dynamics of microphysical properties during FLS could be used to improve the implemented theoretical assumptions on LWC-profiles in satellite-based approaches for fog detection. This optimization could permit in turn an operational and continuous monitoring of LWC-profiles in FLS thanks to their high spatiotemporal resolution

Ostracism and the Provision of a Public Good, Experimental Evidence

We analyze the effects of ostracism on cooperation in a linear public good experiment. Our results show that introducing ostracism increases contributions. Despite reductions in group size due to ostracism, the net effect on earnings is positive and significant.Experiment, Public Good, Ostracism

Observation of Galactic Gamma-ray Sources with VERITAS

We report on VERITAS observations at energies above 200 GeV of known or potential galactic gamma-ray sources. The observed objects comprise pulsars, pulsar wind nebulae, high-mass X-ray binaries and gamma-ray sources with unknown counterparts in other wavelengths. Among the highlights are the observation of variable gamma-ray emission from the X-ray binary LS I +61 303 and the detection of MGRO J1906+06/HESS J1906+063, an extended gamma-ray source which could not be associated with any obvious counterpart at lower energies.Comment: Fixed typos in source name

Cooperation in Symmetric and Asymmetric Prisoner's Dilemma Games

We experimentally study the effect of asymmetry on cooperation in a 40 period prisoner's dilemma game in fixed partner design. We distinguish between a high and low payoff symmetric prisoner's dilemma and an asymmetric game combined out of both symmetric ones. Asymmetry significantly decreases cooperation, as low-type players are more likely to defect after mutual cooperation while high-type players initiate cooperation more often than the former. Asymmetry also has a significant negative effect on the stability of cooperation rendering long sequences of mutual cooperation extremely rare.Symmetry, Asymmetry, Prisoner's Dilemma, Experiments

Establishing a Research Information System as Part of an Integrated Approach to Information Management: Best Practice at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is one of the largest research and higher education organisations in the world focusing on engineering and natural sciences. At present KIT, under the chairmanship of its executive board, is installing an extensive current research information system (CRIS) covering all institutes and facilities of the organisation. The assumption underlying the project is that a consistent overview of research performance has become fundamental for the international competitiveness of research institutions and is increasingly important for strategic decisions at the executive level. Ultimately, it also leads to better data and control in rankings at higher education assessments. The new research information system systematically maps all of KIT’s processes and instruments to obtain, connect, present and utilise the research metadata of active researchers. This reduces the documentation workload for researchers, for the executive level and central units such as the library, and at the same time allows for and facilitates an overall view and the aggregation and visualisation of research metadata. Our vision is to build a federally structured network of systems that gathers information on KIT’s publications, research competence, research projects, patents and technological offers by retrieving data from external and internal sources as well as directly from the researchers. The network facilitates linking and aggregating of data and provides unique identifiers for individual researchers and organizational units. With its consistent data model the research information system also fosters the organisational development of KIT, which was formed in 2009 by the merger of a university and a national research centre. The researchers and their activities are at the core of the research information system. The system substantially reduces their administrative burden in documenting project information and publications. Automatic data import from external online sources and repositories has the big advantage that publication data are acquired and validated only once and can be used subsequently for manifold purposes such as websites, CVs, publication lists and reference management software. Due to the complexity of workflows, internal and external sources and the organisational infrastructure that is required for such an implementation, KIT has chosen a commercial software solution (by AVEDAS AG) as the basic installation, and in cooperation with AVEDAS will expand it and adjust it to a tailor-made system that covers the entire KIT publication and research life cycle. The CRIS at KIT is part of a larger integrated and service-oriented approach to information management (Karlsruhe Integrated Information Management - KIM)