I am using the game to evaluate trust in Iran. I was wondering if it is a good tool? and also there is a wonder that if there is alternatives to this game?!?
It definitely correlates with survey responses: Glaeser, E.L., Laibson, D., Scheinkman, J.A., and Soutter, C.L. (2000). Measuring Trust. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 65, 811–846.
What the trust game measures is an ongoing controversy among many economists. Early results showed that the trust game does not measure trust at all, but rather trustworthiness (Glaeser, et al. (2000), "Measuring Trust"). More recent research suggest that the trust game measures the beliefs component of trust (how likely is it that an unknown other will cheat you). See, e.g., Sapienza, Toldra and Zingales (2012) "Understanding Trust"; or Butler, Giuliano and Guiso (2012) "Trust and Cheating."
I agree with Jeffrey, I thin the experiment itself is flawed, such that it is not really a trust game but more in line with a reciprocity game. I feel that trust is a social construct with many aspects being driven by ones society. I hope some one can come up with a better game, as it is I don't buy the results as being trust related.
In response to David's comment about a "better game", I would like share my research in which I developed the "cooperative trust game". https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236735136_Cooperative_Trust_Games?ev=prf_pub
It is based on cooperative game theory and attempts to predict the formation or disbanding of coalitions based on trust-based interactions.
Chapter Cooperative Trust Games