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The Trust-Building Game: A Model for Sustainable Cooperation

Author

Listed:
  • Madjid Eshaghi Gordji
  • Mohamadali Berahman

Abstract

Trust serves as a fundamental pillar of human interactions, playing a crucial role in economic, social, and political relationships. While traditional models of trust primarily focus on the decision making of the first player, this paper introduces an innovative approach that shifts the emphasis to the decision making processes of the second player. The proposed model employs a repetitive structure through which the first player effectively cultivates the second player's trust through consistent and strategic actions. This framework is applicable across various fields, including public policy, marketing, and international relations. It significantly deepens our understanding of the trust-building process and aids in fostering sustainable cooperation in real world scenarios.

Suggested Citation

  • Madjid Eshaghi Gordji & Mohamadali Berahman, 2025. "The Trust-Building Game: A Model for Sustainable Cooperation," Papers 2512.17061, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2512.17061
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    3. Charness, Gary & Dufwenberg, Martin, 2003. "Promises & Partnership," Research Papers in Economics 2003:3, Stockholm University, Department of Economics.
    4. Johnson, Noel D. & Mislin, Alexandra, 2012. "How much should we trust the World Values Survey trust question?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 116(2), pages 210-212.
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