You will take part in a strategic game played on a triangular board with two other players.
In each round, all players negotiate to select a cell and form an agreement that determines how the total reward is split.
Your goal is to earn as many points as possible by selecting cells that give you a higher share.
To gain a larger share, try to agree on a cell closer to your own position.
To earn points, form an agreement with at least one other player (same cell) and hold it for 10 seconds.
{% if is_ai_agent %}
AI Agent
Your group may include a different combination of human and AI agents.
The AI agents have been trained on human gameplay.
{% else %}
AI Delegation
Your group may include players who have chosen to delegate their decisions to an AI agent and are labeled as "AI" in the game.
The AI agent makes decisions on behalf of the human player and is trained on human gameplay data.
{% endif %}
The two types of players are designated as the following.
Human
AI
Game Example
Please Use the slides below to explore how the game works and see examples of the main actions and mechanics.
1. Player Positions
On the board, you are positioned at the bottom corner; the other players are at the top-left and top-right.
2. Hover to View Payoffs
Hover any cell to see each player’s points. Closer to your corner = more points for you.
3. Making and Changing Proposals
Making a Proposal: Click a cell (your ring appears).
4. Retracting a Proposal
Click outside the board to clear your current proposal.
5. Forming an Agreement
When ≥2 players choose the same cell, a red dot appears and a 10s timer starts.
If anyone leaves, the timer resets and the agreement breaks.
6. Shrinking Reward
The monetary value per point drops until 120s. Agree faster to earn more.
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How your earnings are calculated
Points inside a round
In each round you earn pointsif you form a lasting agreement with at least one other player.
Agreement reached: If an agreement holds for 10 seconds,
the round ends immediately. Each player in that agreement earns
(cell point value) × (current value per point).
No agreement: If no coalition forms within 120 seconds,
the round ends and no one earns any points.
Which round counts for payment
At the end of the study, one round is randomly selected from the 10 rounds you played.
From points to money
You will receive a fixed participation fee of £6 per hour plus a performance-based bonus.
Your bonus for the study equals the points you earned in the selected round multiplied by the value of each point at the moment the agreement was finalized.
Example: If you earn 10 points in the selected round and each point is worth £0.20, your bonus is £2.00.
Early exit
If you choose to leave the game before it ends, you will not receive any payment.
Because the game requires all group members to participate, an early departure also ends
the session for the other players. If your session ends because another player leaves,
you still receive the fixed participation fee but no performance bonus.
Payment exclusion
Your submission can be rejected and you will not receive payment if:
You fail the instructions quiz.
You quit or are removed before finishing the 10 rounds and final survey questions.
Our server detects that you already completed this study or a closely related pilot.
You take longer than 45 minutes to complete the study.
If you answer the manipulation check incorrectly at the end of the experiment, you receive only
the base hourly payment and no bonus.
Quiz
Before you can proceed to the game, you must answer the following questions.
You will have 2 attempts in total. If necessary, go back to review the instructions.