Main Content

Cooperation, Reputation, and Emotions

Research question

Cooperation is an important feature of any social group. The project analyses if and how institutions influence cooperation in different scenarios. It covers theoretical models of cooperative behavior as well as experimental studies. In that it incorporates classic economic models of the individual, in particular, the `homo economicus´, as well as modern approaches in modeling the decision maker.
We show that the general perception that sees strategic thinking and economic education as a driver for less cooperative behavior, is misleading. Within an investment-game experiment with a public-goods character we show that individuals are actually more willing to cooperate the better they understand the economic consequences of their behavior. In addition, we show that emotions as one major factor of decision makingshould be embedded in economic models of decision making.

Researchers

  • Results

    Korn, Evelyn, Stephan Meisenzahl, and Johannes Ziesecke (2015), Social Coordination, Self-Image, and Cooperation in Investment games, Applied Economics and Finance, 2 (3).

    Korn, Evelyn (2015), Kooperatives Verhalten in der Ökonomik: Theorie und experimentelle Evidenz, in: Diego De Brasi und Sabine Föllinger (Hrsgg.), Anthropologie in Antike und Gegenwart: Biologische und philosophische Entwürfe vom Menschen. Verlag Karl Alber, p. 329-354.

    Korn, Evelyn and Johannes Ziesecke (2013), Economic Decisions and Institutional Boundaries, in: Philip H. Crowley and Thomas R. Zentall (eds.), Comparative Decision Making, Oxford University Press.

    Meisenzahl, Stephan (2010), Zur Bereitstellung spezifischer Investitionen unter vertraglicher Unvollständigkeit. Ein theoretischer Lösungsansatz und experimentelle Evidenz. Verlag Dr. Hut, München.

    Ziesecke, Johannes (2016), Egoismus oder Altruismus? Eine Analyse des Eigennutzenaxioms und des Einflusses von institutionellen Faktoren auf das ökonomische Verhaltensmodell.