 Some research has found that punishment systems decrease the trust that people have in others.Other research has found that "graduated" sanctions, where initial punishments have low severity, make allowances for unusual hardships, and allow the violator to reenter the trust of the collective, have been found to support collective resource management and increase trust in the system.,

Boundary structural solutions modify the social dilemma structure and such strategies are often very effective.Experimental studies on commons dilemmas show that overharvesting groups are more willing to appoint a leader to look after the common resource.