Behavior, uncertainty, and the role of information on resource management

This dissertation investigates how different forms of uncertainty and information shape behavior and decision-making in fisheries management within social-ecological systems. The research distinguishes between social uncertainty among resource users, strategic uncertainty about optimal actions, and ecological uncertainty related to fish stock dynamics. Using lab-in-the-field experiments conducted in rural Cambodia, survey data, and analyses of fish stock assessments and European Union fisheries policy, the dissertation explores how uncertainty affects cooperation in informal institutions and how scientific information is generated and applied in formal governance systems. The findings highlight the importance of behavioral factors such as trust, risk aversion, framing effects, and anchoring in shaping cooperation and expert judgment. The thesis also shows that institutional rigidity can limit the ability of governance systems to respond effectively to new scientific information, particularly as climate change shifts fish stock distributions.