Fool Me Twice : Trust and Cooperation in a Collaborative Practice-Based Learning Environment

In this paper we investigate whether engagement through collaborative practice-based learning (PBL) can boost trusting and cooperative behavior. We experimentally tested if working in teams on a PBL project during a 15-weeks semester leads to developing a higher level of trust and cooperation as compared to working on the class assignments individually. We found that trusting behavior in the trust game, on average, is stable and unlikely to change significantly over time. Cooperation in the public good game is relatively more responsive to a PBL intervention. We also found that the change in trusting and cooperative behavior depends on starting levels. Those starting with higher trust and cooperation levels do not alter their behavior regardless of the class format. Those starting with lower trust and cooperation levels tend to change their behavior. While trusting behavior increases regardless of the type of class format, cooperation increases only in a PBL class. These results underscore the complexity of trusting and cooperative behavior and the importance of accounting for heterogeneity when designing interventions