INTRA-GROUP POWER RELATIONS, STRATEGY, AND DECISIONS IN INTER-TRIAD COMPETITION

Abstract : Ten pairs of triads of each sex engaged in competition for monetary rewards in a Multiplication Game and a Matching Game. In each of these games, there were 12 contests, four each of three power-patterns. In each event, the two groups cast two votes, (1) which of three alternatives to enter into competition against the choice of the other group, (2) how to allocate a bonus, if they won. Players had the number of votes represented by their weights, in the power-pattern for that event. In comparison with the Board Game used in previous experiments, these triads reached a very high proportion of "triple alliances", typically arriving at consensus without regard to power differences. A comparison of Winning and Losing Groups strongly suggests that skill and decision making efficiency are both highly significant factors in winning. These results may be inter preted in terms of the development of intra group cooperation under conditions of inter group competition.