Motivation and Cooperation

"How do self-regard and social norms interact to determine individuals behavior?"

Fehr/Gintis.

Reflection of "Public Goods Game"
2 Types of people
1) Benefits be gained if you do not contribute
2)Contributor

Idea 1:
Strong reciprocators (SR) exist in a social environment, behavior is a result of both inner tendencies and external factors.

  • reciprocity creates solidarity.

-Reciprocity creates social solidarity
-general reciprocity

Idea2:
A conditional cooperator tends to cooperate when she meets cooperators, but punish when she meets non-cooperators.
IMPORTANT: even willing to "spend her own money on punishment-not just revenge.

Idea 3:
A world full of interacting strong reciprocators effects the environment. Macro level conditions emerge which become the environment in which the actors fin themselves.

Idea 4:
This contrasts with the image Hobbes (1588-1679) have us: humans are basically selfish; put them together and they will fight and struggle; result is "war of all against all", only solution is for strong central authority or institution.
example: cultural dolt- one is supposed to love your neighbors.

-Sociological fantasy

ALL SELF REGARD <--—> ALL SOCIAL NORMS (cultural dolt)

Homo Sociologicus

  • Follow norms
  • without regard for self interest
  • theory

Homo Enconomicus (to be continued)

-rational & purely self-interested

Notes by Erika Cabrera & Additions by Alheli Cuenca