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Reciprocity and the paradox of trust in psychological game theory

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Isoni, Andrea and Sugden, Robert (2019) Reciprocity and the paradox of trust in psychological game theory. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 167 . pp. 219-227. doi:10.1016/j.jebo.2018.04.015 ISSN 0167-2681.

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2018.04.015

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Abstract

Rabin’s psychological game-theoretic model of ‘fairness’ has been the starting point for a literature about preferences for reciprocity. In this literature, reciprocity is modelled by defining an individual’s ‘kindness’ or ‘unkindness’ in terms of the consequences of his actions for others, and assuming a motivation to reward (punish) other people’s kindness (unkindness). Contrary to intuition, this form of reciprocity cannot explain mutually beneficial trust and trustworthiness in a simple Trust Game. We formalise and offer a diagnosis of this ‘Paradox of Trust’. We distinguish between two kinds of reciprocity. Rabin’s concept of reciprocal kindness is a psychologically plausible motivation, and the paradox is an informative result about the implications of this motivation. However, trust is better understood in terms of reciprocal cooperation – the motivation to play one’s part in mutually beneficial practices, conditional on others playing their parts. We show that a theory of reciprocal cooperation can avoid the paradox.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory
Divisions: Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School > Behavioural Science
Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Game theory, Reciprocity (Psychology)
Journal or Publication Title: Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
Publisher: Elsevier Science BV
ISSN: 0167-2681
Official Date: November 2019
Dates:
DateEvent
November 2019Published
12 November 2018Available
19 April 2018Accepted
Volume: 167
Page Range: pp. 219-227
DOI: 10.1016/j.jebo.2018.04.015
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Open Access (Creative Commons)
Date of first compliant deposit: 8 May 2018
Date of first compliant Open Access: 16 November 2018
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:
Project/Grant IDRIOXX Funder NameFunder ID
670103H2020 European Research Councilhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100010663
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