Explaining Cooperation in Groups. Testing Models of Reciprocity and Learning

Abstract

What are the cognitive processes underlying cooperation in groups? This question is addressed by examining how well a reciprocity model, two learning models, and social value orientation can predict cooperation in two iterated n-person social dilemmas with continuous contributions. In the first of these dilemmas, the public goods game, participants made repeated decisions about contributions to one public good. In the second, the social dilemma network game, the public good was divided into multiple two-person public goods, thus allowing selective cooperation. Both dilemmas were conducted in an experiment in which the participants had to search actively for information about other players' past behavior on a computerized information board. As predicted by the reciprocity model, participants cooperated substantially more in the social dilemma network game. The reciprocity model proved most successful of the models compared in predicting participants' information search and