THE EFFECTS OF EGO IDENTITY AND PARTNER PERCEPTION ON A PRISONER'S DILEMMA GAME.

Fifty-six college males and 56 college females were interviewed to determine their identity status and then played a Prisoner's Dilemma game with either a high or low authority opponent under feedback that changed either from cooperation to competition or competition to cooperation. Moratorium (in crisis) subjects were found to cooperate less with a high authority opponent than with a low authority opponent (interpreted as "rebellion") and also to match their responses to their opponents' more often than the other statuses (interpreted as "need for guidance in decision-making"). The previously established higher anxiety level in the moratorium status manifested itself in longer response latencies when feedback moved from cooperation to competition. Identity diffusions, who have resolved the identity crisis by remaining uncommitted, were unaffected by partner status or feedback manipulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]