“.. and besides, I probably couldn't have made a difference anyway”: Justification of Social Dilemma Defection via Perceived Self-Inefficacy

Prior theory on prosocial behavior has suggested that, when we act uncooperatively for other reasons, we may justify that uncooperativeness by telling ourselves that “. . . I probably couldn't have made a difference anyway,” that is, by minimizing the efficacy of our cooperative actions. A pair of experiments examined this question in the context of social dilemmas, where there are always clear disincentives to cooperate. In Experiment 1, it was found that making these disincentives stronger not only decreased cooperation, but also decreased group members' sense that acting cooperatively was efficacious for enhancing the group's welfare. An alternative explanation to a defensive, self-justification explanation for the latter finding was then identified. The results of Experiment 2 ruled out this alternative explanation as well as providing additional evidence for a justification-via-inefficacy effect. The implications of such defensive processes for cooperation in social dilemmas are discussed.