___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Negotiation Task* ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Script Author: Katja Borchert, Ph.D. (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC Date: 06-01-2021 last updated: 02-25-2022 by K. Borchert (katjab@millisecond.com) for Millisecond Software, LLC Script Copyright © 02-25-2022 Millisecond Software ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BACKGROUND INFO ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This script implements a Negotiation Task procedure using the computer as a co-negotiator. The implemented procedure is based on De Dreu & Van Kleeff (2004, Experiment 3) and follows their general Negotiation Task procedure: Module1: Intro Module2: Manipulation Module3: Negotiation Task Module4: Manipulation Checks Module5: Debriefing One of the main independent variables investigated is the perceived role of power. For example, this script looks at Supervisors vs. Subordinates. Note that each module can be customized. Reference: De Dreu, C.K.W. & Van Kleef, G.A. (2004). The influence of power on the information search, impression formation, and demands in negotiation, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 40, Issue 3, 303-319. ISSN 0022-1031, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2003.07.004. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TASK DESCRIPTION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Participants play a simulated negotiation game with a partner (aka 'the computer') within the context of work in an office designing advertisement campaigns for various organizations. By default, players are randomly assigned the 'supervisor' or 'subordinate' role for the negotiation of three issues: next client, proposed deadline, advertisement campaign. Each issue has 9 levels of awarded points and participants are asked to get as many points as they can in the negotiation. However, if agreement cannot be reached within an undefined amount of time, participants do not win any points at all. Before the negotiation task, participants and co-player exchange negotiation-relevant questions. The questions posed to the participants are systematically selected to influence participant's impressions of the co-player. The questions posed to the participant differ on 2 dimensions: a) competitive vs. cooperative b) leading vs. diagnostic After responding to the computer's questions, the negotiation experiences an 'internal server error' and jumps straight to the negotiation tasks without presenting the co-players responses to the participant's question. The negotiations are started by the participant (default setting) and end either with complete agreement on all three issues or after 6 unsuccessful rounds of negotiations. The task ends with a couple of manipulation check questions and a debriefing. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DURATION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ the default set-up of the script takes appr. 12 minutes to complete ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DATA FILE INFORMATION ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The default data stored in the data files are: (1) Raw data file: 'negotiationtask_raw*.iqdat' (a separate file for each participant)* build: The specific Inquisit version used (the 'build') that was run computer.platform: the platform the script was run on (win/mac/ios/android) date, time: date and time script was run subject, group, with the current subject/groupnumber session: with the current session id blockcode, blocknum: the name and number of the current block (built-in Inquisit variable) trialcode, trialnum: the name and number of the currently recorded trial (built-in Inquisit variable) Note: trialnum is a built-in Inquisit variable; it counts all trials run; even those that do not store data to the data file. power: "high" (participant is supervisor) vs. "low" (participant is subordinate) questionType: "diagnostic" vs. "leading" negotiationStyleHypothesis: "competitive" vs. "cooperative" response: the participant's response latency: the response latency (in ms) roundCount: tracks the number of negotiation rounds roundContinue: 0 = missing participant demands; 1 = participant selected all demends demandPoints_perround: calculates the sum of the participant demands from the current round across all three issues p_issueA: participant's selected level for issue A p_issueB: participant's selected level for issue B p_issueC: participant's selected level for issue C c_issueA: current computer's level for issue A c_issueB: current computer's level for issue B c_issueC: current computer's level for issue C c_offers: the three fixed computer choices for the current round Note: if participant takes the previous counter offer for a particular issue, the individual computers level is NOT updated for this issue according to c_offers Example: Round 1: c_offers = 9-8-8 participant suggests '1' for issue B. Computer counters with '8' Round 2: c_offers = 9-7-8 a) participant suggests '8' (the previous counter offer) => issue B is resolved (c_issueB stays at 8) b) participant suggests '3' => issue B is not resolved; c_issueB is updated to 7 issueA_resolved: 1 = issue A is currently resolved; 2 = issue A is currently not resolved issueB_resolved: 1 = issue B is currently resolved; 2 = issue B is currently not resolved issueC_resolved: 1 = issue C is currently resolved; 2 = issue C is currently not resolved stop: 0 = the negotiation should not stop; 1 = the negotiation should stop (2) Summary data file: 'negotiationtask_summary*.iqdat' (a separate file for each participant)* inquisit.version: Inquisit version run computer.platform: the platform the script was run on (win/mac/ios/android) startDate: date script was run startTime: time script was started subjectid: assigned subject id number groupid: assigned group id number sessionid: assigned session id number elapsedTime: time it took to run script (in ms); measured from onset to offset of script completed: 0 = script was not completed (prematurely aborted); 1 = script was completed (all conditions run) power: "high" (participant is supervisor) vs. "low" (participant is subordinate) questionType: "diagnostic" vs. "leading" negotiationStyleHypothesis: "competitive" vs. "cooperative" DemandIndex: average sum of participants 'demand points' (averaged across negotiation rounds) impressionIndex: average rating of positive/pleasant/sociable/considerate positive_rating: positive rating of co-player pleasant_rating: pleasant rating of co-player sociable_rating: sociable rating of co-player considerate_rating: considerate rating of co-player power_rating: power rating of co-player influence_rating: influence rating of co-player * separate data files: to change to one data file for all participants (on Inquisit Lab only), go to section "DATA" and follow further instructions ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Design: 2 power roles (supervisor vs. subordinate) x 2 question types (leading vs. diagnostic) x 2 negotiationStyle hypothesis (cooperation vs. competition) = 8 between-participant groups => Participants are assigned to the power role according to setting parameters.roleAssignment => random assignment to question type and negotiationStyle hypothesis Experimental Procedure: (1) Module1: Intro -> pairing with Co-player -> Role Assignment (2) Module2: Manipulation => Question Generation (up to 6) and question Sharing btw. participant and co-player (co-players questions selected according to assigned question type and negotiationStyle hypothesis) => Participant is asked to respond to co-player's question but a 'fake' error message after submitting the responses interrupts the 'sharing of responses' and participant goes on to negotiation task. (3) Module3: Negotiation Task: max 6 rounds (see parameters.maxRounds) - by default Participant starts the negotiation by proposing 3 (levels) for issueA, issueB, and issueC => if the proposed levels are the same as the last counter offer(s) from the computer, then the issue(s) get resolved (aka 'participant agrees with co-player') => if the proposed levels are lower from the last counter offers from the computer, the computer selects new counter offers (see list.computerOffers). => if the proposed levels are the same or higher than the updated counter offers, then the issue(s) get resolved (aka 'computer agrees with participant') => if not a new round is started Notes: * the counter offers proposed by the computer are the same as the ones by De Dreu & Van Kleeff (2004) and can be edited under list.computerOffers. * a previously resolved issue can still be opened up again if participant selects a different value during a subsequent round Negotiation Stop: - ALL issues have been resolved OR - 6 unsuccessful negotiation rounds (4) Module4: Manipulation Checks - ratings of positive, pleasant, sociable, considerate impression of co-player - ratings of power and influence of co-player over participant - textbox to collect any other feedback (5) Module5: Debriefing ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ STIMULI ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ - Issue Table from De Dreu & Van Kleeff (2004, table 1, p.307) => change issues under negotiationtask_issuechart.htm/negotiationtask_issuechart2.htm => change point values under list.issueAPoints/list.issueBPoints/list.issueCPoints/ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ INSTRUCTIONS ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ provided by Millisecond Software - can be edited under section Editable Instructions. The instructions are not original to De Dreu & Van Kleeff (2004). They are Millisecond's interpretation of the described procedure. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EDITABLE CODE ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ check below for (relatively) easily editable parameters, stimuli, instructions etc. Keep in mind that you can use this script as a template and therefore always "mess" with the entire code to further customize your experiment. The parameters you can change are: