Sense Making and Information in an Agent-Based Model of Cooperation
16 Pages Posted: 30 Sep 2012
Date Written: September 29, 2012
Abstract
This paper studies the profile of cooperation emerging in a context in which agents may choose to join one of two groups or stay on their own, in a world where similarity across peers matters. In particular, we investigate the role of heterogeneity in individual contributions, of the level of information and of in-group processes of convergence in values (sense making) in fostering higher levels of cooperation, assessed through higher participation rates to groups. Starting from the result that more heterogeneity reduces participation, we show that increasing the level of information available to subjects and activating sense-making dynamics are able to support higher cooperation levels, which, however, come at the cost of increased radicalization of agent types within group.
Keywords: Similarity, Sense making, Cooperation, Groups
JEL Classification: B41, D74, D85
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation