Mechanisms and Benefits of Reciprocal Relationships

This thesis explores how theoretical and experimental methods can contribute to our understanding of the different mechanisms and benefits by which cooperation evolves. To do so, I use game theory through mathematical models, evolutionary simulations and economic games. The first three chapters focus on a core mechanism of cooperation: direct reciprocity. When individuals know that there is a high probability of future interactions, they benefit from maintaining a cooperative relationship. Chapter 2 begins with a review of the theoretical and experimental literature, which highlights some important gaps in our understanding of direct reciprocity. In Chapter 3, we investigate direct reciprocity in multi-game settings, where individuals take part in two concurrent interactions with the same or different partners. Chapter 4 develops a different type of reciprocal strategy that does not rely on explicit and exact memory of the game history. Instead, it embodies more realistic cognitive abilities of human players. The last two chapters examine how the importance of finding cooperative partners can explain different social behaviours. Chapter 5 reviews the literature on how different types of cues signal cooperativeness. Behavioural cues based on past behaviour have been found to be accurate predictors of cooperativeness and they are perceived as such by third parties. One such behaviour is acting according to moral values. Chapter 6 builds on this finding by developing a signalling model to analyse principled behaviour, defined as behaving consistently, regardless of the costs and without compromise. Game theory and evolutionary principles show how the dynamics of partner choice can lead individuals to display seemingly maladaptive behaviour.
This thesis offers a comprehensive examination of cooperation in reciprocal relationships, bridging theoretical insights with empirical observations to deepen our understanding of human social interactions.

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