Self-Governance in Generalized Exchange. A Laboratory Experiment on the Structural Embeddedness of Peer Punishment
Peer punishment is widely lauded as a decentralized solution to the problem of social cooperation. However, experimental evidence of its effectiveness primarily stems from public good structures. This paper explores peer punishment in another structural setting: a system of generalized exchange. In...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Games |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4336/12/2/50 |
| _version_ | 1797530687695224832 |
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| author | Georg Kanitsar |
| author_facet | Georg Kanitsar |
| author_sort | Georg Kanitsar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Peer punishment is widely lauded as a decentralized solution to the problem of social cooperation. However, experimental evidence of its effectiveness primarily stems from public good structures. This paper explores peer punishment in another structural setting: a system of generalized exchange. In a laboratory experiment, a repeated four-player prisoner’s dilemma is arranged either in a public good structure or in a circular network of generalized exchange. The experimental results demonstrate that the merits of peer punishment do not extend to generalized exchange. In the public good, peer punishment was primarily altruistic, was sensitive to costs, and promoted cooperation. In generalized exchange, peer punishment was also altruistic and relatively frequent, but did not increase cooperation. While the dense punishment network underlying the public good facilitates norm enforcement, generalized exchange decreases control over norm violators and reduces the capacity of peer punishment. I conclude that generalized exchange systems require stronger forms of punishment to sustain social cooperation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:32:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c2ed41ad818f4747b78c66ac8f7c4fc1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4336 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T10:32:35Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Games |
| spelling | doaj.art-c2ed41ad818f4747b78c66ac8f7c4fc12023-11-21T23:32:07ZengMDPI AGGames2073-43362021-06-011225010.3390/g12020050Self-Governance in Generalized Exchange. A Laboratory Experiment on the Structural Embeddedness of Peer PunishmentGeorg Kanitsar0Institute for Sociology and Social Research, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Welthandelsplatz 1, 1020 Vienna, AustriaPeer punishment is widely lauded as a decentralized solution to the problem of social cooperation. However, experimental evidence of its effectiveness primarily stems from public good structures. This paper explores peer punishment in another structural setting: a system of generalized exchange. In a laboratory experiment, a repeated four-player prisoner’s dilemma is arranged either in a public good structure or in a circular network of generalized exchange. The experimental results demonstrate that the merits of peer punishment do not extend to generalized exchange. In the public good, peer punishment was primarily altruistic, was sensitive to costs, and promoted cooperation. In generalized exchange, peer punishment was also altruistic and relatively frequent, but did not increase cooperation. While the dense punishment network underlying the public good facilitates norm enforcement, generalized exchange decreases control over norm violators and reduces the capacity of peer punishment. I conclude that generalized exchange systems require stronger forms of punishment to sustain social cooperation.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4336/12/2/50generalized exchangepeer punishmentcooperationsocial networksembeddednesslaboratory experiment |
| spellingShingle | Georg Kanitsar Self-Governance in Generalized Exchange. A Laboratory Experiment on the Structural Embeddedness of Peer Punishment Games generalized exchange peer punishment cooperation social networks embeddedness laboratory experiment |
| title | Self-Governance in Generalized Exchange. A Laboratory Experiment on the Structural Embeddedness of Peer Punishment |
| title_full | Self-Governance in Generalized Exchange. A Laboratory Experiment on the Structural Embeddedness of Peer Punishment |
| title_fullStr | Self-Governance in Generalized Exchange. A Laboratory Experiment on the Structural Embeddedness of Peer Punishment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Self-Governance in Generalized Exchange. A Laboratory Experiment on the Structural Embeddedness of Peer Punishment |
| title_short | Self-Governance in Generalized Exchange. A Laboratory Experiment on the Structural Embeddedness of Peer Punishment |
| title_sort | self governance in generalized exchange a laboratory experiment on the structural embeddedness of peer punishment |
| topic | generalized exchange peer punishment cooperation social networks embeddedness laboratory experiment |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4336/12/2/50 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT georgkanitsar selfgovernanceingeneralizedexchangealaboratoryexperimentonthestructuralembeddednessofpeerpunishment |