Know Thy Neighbor : Costly Information Can Hurt Cooperation in Dynamic Networks

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Version: Final published version
License: CC BY 4.0
Serval ID
serval:BIB_7A0FBBFB370B
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Know Thy Neighbor : Costly Information Can Hurt Cooperation in Dynamic Networks
Journal
PLoS ONE
Author(s)
Antonioni A., Cacault M. P., Lalive R., Tomassini M.
ISSN
1932-6203
Publication state
Published
Issued date
10/2014
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
9
Number
10
Language
english
Abstract
People need to rely on cooperation with other individuals in many aspects of everyday life, such as teamwork and economic exchange in anonymous markets. We study whether and how the ability to make or break links in social networks fosters cooperate, paying particular attention to whether information on an individual's actions is freely available to potential partners. Studying the role of information is relevant as information on other people's actions is often not available for free: a recruiting firm may need to call a job candidate's references, a bank may need to find out about the credit history of a new client, etc. We find that people cooperate almost fully when information on their actions is freely available to their potential partners. Cooperation is less likely, however, if people have to pay about half of what they gain from cooperating with a cooperator. Cooperation declines even further if people have to pay a cost that is almost equivalent to the gain from cooperating with a cooperator. Thus, costly information on potential neighbors' actions can undermine the incentive to cooperate in fluid networks.
Keywords
Promote cooperation, evolutionary games, prisoners-dilemma, coevolution, populations, humans
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
03/10/2014 18:10
Last modification date
30/04/2021 7:11
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