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Facebook to Facebook: Online Communication and Economic Cooperation

Author

Listed:
  • Ana Lou Abatayo

    (Department of Economics, University of Hawaii)

  • John Lynham

    (Department of Economics, University of Hawaii)

  • Katerina Sherstyuk

    (Department of Economics, University of Hawaii)

Abstract

Traditionally, direct face-to-face communication has been found more effective for fostering economic cooperation than any form of indirect, mediated communication. We inquire whether this is still the case when most young people routinely use texting and online social media to communicate with each other. We find that young adults in our laboratory public goods experiment are just as adept at finding and sustaining cooperative agreements when communicating within a Facebook group and through online chat as they are in person.

Suggested Citation

  • Ana Lou Abatayo & John Lynham & Katerina Sherstyuk, 2016. "Facebook to Facebook: Online Communication and Economic Cooperation," Working Papers 201610, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hai:wpaper:201610
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Anna Lou Abatayo & John Lynham & Katerina Sherstyuk, 2020. "Communication, Expectations, and Trust: An Experiment with Three Media," Games, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-26, October.
    2. Stefan P. Penczynski, 2019. "Using machine learning for communication classification," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 22(4), pages 1002-1029, December.
    3. Lopaciuk-Gonczaryk, Beata, 2019. "Social Capital Formation Through a Polish LETS: Challenging the Presumed Merits of Local Currencies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 75-87.
    4. J Jobu Babin, 2020. "Linguistic signaling, emojis, and skin tone in trust games," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(6), pages 1-14, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Laboratory Experiments; Communication; Public good voluntary Contribution mechanism;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods

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