TRUST, RECIPROCITY, AND SOCIAL-HISTORY

Citation
J. Berg et al., TRUST, RECIPROCITY, AND SOCIAL-HISTORY, Games and economic behavior, 10(1), 1995, pp. 122-142
Citations number
25
Categorie Soggetti
Economics
Journal title
ISSN journal
08998256
Volume
10
Issue
1
Year of publication
1995
Pages
122 - 142
Database
ISI
SICI code
0899-8256(1995)10:1<122:TRAS>2.0.ZU;2-M
Abstract
We designed an experiment to study trust and reciprocity in an investm ent setting. This design controls for alternative explanations of beha vior including repeat game reputation effects, contractual precommitme nts, and punishment threats. Observed decisions suggest that reciproci ty exists as a basic element of human behavior and that this is accoun ted for in the trust extended to an anonymous counterpart. A second tr eatment, social history, identifies conditions which strengthen the re lationship between trust and reciprocity. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc .