Preferences and perceptions in Provision and Maintenance public goods

We study two generic versions of public goods problems: in Provision problems, the good does not exist initially and needs to be provided; Maintenance already exists maintained. In four lab online experiments (n=2,105), we document a robust asymmetry preferences perceptions incentive-equivalent these problems. find fewer conditional cooperators more free riders than Provision, difference that is replicable, stable, reflected kindness. Incentivized control questions administered before gameplay reveal dilemma-specific misperceptions but controlling for them neither eliminates game-dependent cooperation, nor differences perceived kindness others' cooperation. Thus, even when sharing same game form, are different social dilemmas require separate behavioral analyses.