Managing cooperation via procedural fairness: The mediating influence of self-other merging

The present research examined the process underlying the effect of procedural fairness on cooperation. It was predicted that fair procedures have a positive effect on cooperation, and that the psychological process of self-other merging (between the group authority and the group member) mediate this effect. Results from a scenario experiment, and a cross-sectional survey supported these predictions. It is concluded that procedural fairness engenders cooperation because it enhances the process of self-other merging between the group authority and the group member. The importance of including the behavioral notion of cooperation into procedural fairness theories is discussed with particular relevance to social decision making.