the dictator: a four-person game

abstract: dictator is a four-person game in characteristic function form, where one of the players (the "dictator") is distinguished in so far as after each round he can allot the amount to be distributed irrespective of the agreement reached in preceding negotiations. of course, he must rely upon being excluded from the grand coalition in subsequent rounds. the game was played during an experiment with 120 university students participating. a comparison of the results with game-theoretic solution concepts was made. moreover, success and behaviour of the players was studied in connection with personality characteristics, e.g . need for achievement or need for affiliation, which was measured by means of a questionnaire.