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Consistent Strategy Updating in Spatial and Non-Spatial Behavioral Experiments Does Not Promote Cooperation in Social Networks

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  • Jelena Grujić
  • Torsten Röhl
  • Dirk Semmann
  • Manfred Milinski
  • Arne Traulsen

Abstract

The presence of costly cooperation between otherwise selfish actors is not trivial. A prominent mechanism that promotes cooperation is spatial population structure. However, recent experiments with human subjects report substantially lower level of cooperation then predicted by theoretical models. We analyze the data of such an experiment in which a total of 400 players play a Prisoner's Dilemma on a square lattice in two treatments, either interacting via a fixed square lattice (15 independent groups) or with a population structure changing after each interaction (10 independent groups). We analyze the statistics of individual decisions and infer in which way they can be matched with the typical models of evolutionary game theorists. We find no difference in the strategy updating between the two treatments. However, the strategy updates are distinct from the most popular models which lead to the promotion of cooperation as shown by computer simulations of the strategy updating. This suggests that the promotion of cooperation by population structure is not as straightforward in humans as often envisioned in theoretical models.

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  • Jelena Grujić & Torsten Röhl & Dirk Semmann & Manfred Milinski & Arne Traulsen, 2012. "Consistent Strategy Updating in Spatial and Non-Spatial Behavioral Experiments Does Not Promote Cooperation in Social Networks," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(11), pages 1-8, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0047718
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047718
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    2. Tim Johnson & Oleg Smirnov, 2020. "Temporal assortment of cooperators in the spatial prisoner's dilemma," Papers 2011.14440, arXiv.org.
    3. Yali Dong & Cong Li & Yi Tao & Boyu Zhang, 2015. "Evolution of Conformity in Social Dilemmas," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(9), pages 1-12, September.
    4. Tamas David-Barrett, 2022. "Clustering Drives Cooperation on Reputation Networks, All Else Fixed," Papers 2203.00372, arXiv.org.
    5. Takahiro Ezaki & Yutaka Horita & Masanori Takezawa & Naoki Masuda, 2016. "Reinforcement Learning Explains Conditional Cooperation and Its Moody Cousin," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(7), pages 1-13, July.
    6. Fabio Della Rossa & Fabio Dercole & Anna Di Meglio, 2020. "Direct Reciprocity and Model-Predictive Strategy Update Explain the Network Reciprocity Observed in Socioeconomic Networks," Games, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-28, March.
    7. Jia, Danyang & Li, Tong & Zhao, Yang & Zhang, Xiaoqin & Wang, Zhen, 2022. "Empty nodes affect conditional cooperation under reinforcement learning," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 413(C).
    8. Perc, Matjaž & Grigolini, Paolo, 2013. "Collective behavior and evolutionary games – An introduction," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 1-5.
    9. Isabel Cristina Panziera Marques & Mário Franco, 2020. "Cooperation networks in the area of health: systematic literature review," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 122(3), pages 1727-1750, March.
    10. Takahiro Ezaki & Naoki Masuda, 2017. "Reinforcement learning account of network reciprocity," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(12), pages 1-8, December.
    11. Jillian J Jordan & David G Rand & Samuel Arbesman & James H Fowler & Nicholas A Christakis, 2013. "Contagion of Cooperation in Static and Fluid Social Networks," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(6), pages 1-10, June.
    12. Yutaka Horita, 2020. "Greater effects of mutual cooperation and defection on subsequent cooperation in direct reciprocity games than generalized reciprocity games: Behavioral experiments and analysis using multilevel model," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-18, November.
    13. John Realpe-Gómez & Daniele Vilone & Giulia Andrighetto & Luis G. Nardin & Javier A. Montoya, 2018. "Learning Dynamics and Norm Psychology Supports Human Cooperation in a Large-Scale Prisoner’s Dilemma on Networks," Games, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-14, November.

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