Cooperative Orientation,Trust,and Reciprocity

Abstract

Two related processes are hypothesized to mediate the effect of cooperative orientation on cooperative behavior in a conflict situation: development of trust and development of positive reciprocity. Hypotheses derived from assumptions about these processes are tested in two experiments using a two-person game situation with one-way feedback. Independent variables are: orientation (to group vs. to individual outcomes): level of cooperative feedback (high vs. low); gender (male vs. female dyads; and, in one experiment, risk (Prisoner's Dilemma vs. No Risk goal structure); and, in the other experiment, order (behavior occurring early in the experiment vs. behavior occurring later). Dependent variables are choices and guesses about other's next choice. In one experiment, all subjects saw all conditions while in the other, only level of feedback changed for each subject. Results show a significant main effect of orientation, feedback, and risk on choices and correlation between guesses and choices in some but not all conditions. In one experiment, hypotheses about interaction effects derived from the trust model are supported while in the other experiment no interaction effects appear.

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