An experiment in a naturalistic setting investigated the effects of the cost of helping and the dependency and need of a recipient on whether she was helped or exploited. There were 2 levels each (high and low) of cost, dependency, and need. Forty-eight male subjects, 24 at each level of cost,...

The relative effectiveness of pacifistic and retaliatory strategies in eliciting cooperating in a mixed-motive game is unclear due to confounded manipulations of these strategies and inadequate experimental designs in earlier research. In an attempt at clarification, subjects in the present...