Perspective-Taking Predicts Success In Coalition Formation: An Interactive Panel Study

Humans are social animals that constantly seek collaboration with others to obtain goals that they cannot achieve individually. Although this process of coalition formation requires considering other’s interests, major theories on coalition formation have only assumed the role of perspective-taking during this process. We tested this relation in a representative sample using a novel paradigm that simulates coalition formation in a real-time, incentivized and ecologically valid transport setting. We found that individuals who are more prone to take the perspective of their partners during the negotiation were more likely to be included in winning coalitions and to obtain higher payoffs, but also needed more rounds to reach an agreement. They achieved these outcomes by approaching many potential coalition partners, and by making other-serving offers. Our results call for a psychological revision of classic theories on coalition formation, and have implications for horizontal collaboration in logistics.