Cooperation in viscous populations--Experimental evidence

Veronika Grimm and Friederike Mengel

Games and Economic Behavior, 2009, vol. 66, issue 1, pages 202-220

Abstract: We experimentally investigate the effect of population viscosity (an increased probability to interact with others of one's type or group) on cooperation in a standard prisoner's dilemma environment. Subjects can repeatedly choose between two groups that differ in the defector gain in the associated prisoner's dilemma. Choosing into the group with the smaller defector-gain can signal one's willingness to cooperate. We find that viscosity produces an endogenous sorting of cooperators and defectors and persistently high rates of cooperation. Higher viscosity leads to a sharp increase in overall cooperation rates and in addition positively affects the subjects' preferences for cooperation.

Keywords: Experiments; Cooperation; Group; selection; Norms; Population; viscosity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009

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Related works:
Working Paper: COOPERATION IN VISCOUS POPULATIONS - EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE (2007)
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Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:gamebe:v:66:y:2009:i:1:p:202-220

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