SOME FACTORS IN ENHANCING PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE CHOICE BEHAVIOR IN “ FREE RIDER PROBLEM ”

Abstract

This paper proposes a behavioral approach to the so-called, “ free rider problem” in public economics, through the enhancement of “ public consciousness ” of people. Experiments were done to investigate how impact of two factors, urgency and causality, public consciousness to decreace the number of free rides. Analyzing subjects' judgements, it was found that the strong cognition of the two factors made fewer free-riders the weak cognition, and that the strong cognition of causality was transferable to the other situation in which people can recognize only weak causality. Finally, some of practical applications of these factors are also discussed.