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arXiv · 2305.01209

Cooperation and Cognition in Social Networks

Edoardo Gallo·Joseph Lee·Yohanes Eko Riyanto·Erwin Wong
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Abstract

Social networks can sustain cooperation by amplifying the consequences of a single defection through a cascade of relationship losses. Building on Jackson et al. (2012), we introduce a novel robustness notion to characterize low cognitive complexity (LCC) networks - a subset of equilibrium networks that imposes a minimal cognitive burden to calculate and comprehend the consequences of defection. We test our theory in a laboratory experiment and find that cooperation is higher in equilibrium than in non-equilibrium networks. Within equilibrium networks, LCC networks exhibit higher levels of cooperation than non-LCC networks. Learning is essential for the emergence of equilibrium play.

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Edoardo Gallo, Joseph Lee, Yohanes Eko Riyanto, Erwin Wong. 2023-05-02. Cooperation and Cognition in Social Networks. https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.01209

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