Ali Ozkes co-authors PNAS study on collective action across 34 countries

The paper, The private solution trap in collective action problems across 34 nations, was co-authored by Ali Ozkes alongside Eugene Malthouse, Charlie Pilgrim, Daniel Sgroi and an international research consortium involving scholars from 34 countries. It analyses how individuals respond when both public and private solutions are available to address shared challenges such as climate change.

Based on experiments conducted across 34 countries, the study shows that participants with greater resources tend to invest more often in private protection while contributing less to collective solutions, a pattern that increases inequality and weakens public cooperation.

The research also identifies cultural differences: countries where hierarchical values are stronger were more likely to favour private responses, while societies placing greater value on harmony showed stronger support for collective action.

“This study shows how the availability of private solutions can reshape collective decisions and make common responses harder to sustain, even when public cooperation remains the most effective outcome,” said Ali Ozkes.