Individual choices in dynamic networks: an experiment on social preferences
Game-theoretic models of network formation typically assume that people create relations so as to maximize their own outcome in the network. Recent experiments on network formation suggest that the assumption of self-interest might be unwarranted and that social preferences, such as altruism and ine...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
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Public Library of Science
2014
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/30842/ |
| _version_ | 1848794073837600768 |
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| author | van Dolder, Dennie Buskens, Vincent |
| author_facet | van Dolder, Dennie Buskens, Vincent |
| author_sort | van Dolder, Dennie |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Game-theoretic models of network formation typically assume that people create relations so as to maximize their own outcome in the network. Recent experiments on network formation suggest that the assumption of self-interest might be unwarranted and that social preferences, such as altruism and inequality aversion, play a role in the formation of social networks. We developed an experiment to systematically investigate whether people show preferences for outcomes of others during network formation. We find that such preferences play a role when network decisions degenerate to simple two-person decision tasks. In more complex environments, however, we find little evidence for social preferences as a significant decision criterion. Furthermore, we find some evidence for farsighted behavior in network formation. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:10:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-30842 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:10:24Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-308422020-05-04T16:46:41Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/30842/ Individual choices in dynamic networks: an experiment on social preferences van Dolder, Dennie Buskens, Vincent Game-theoretic models of network formation typically assume that people create relations so as to maximize their own outcome in the network. Recent experiments on network formation suggest that the assumption of self-interest might be unwarranted and that social preferences, such as altruism and inequality aversion, play a role in the formation of social networks. We developed an experiment to systematically investigate whether people show preferences for outcomes of others during network formation. We find that such preferences play a role when network decisions degenerate to simple two-person decision tasks. In more complex environments, however, we find little evidence for social preferences as a significant decision criterion. Furthermore, we find some evidence for farsighted behavior in network formation. Public Library of Science 2014-04-14 Article PeerReviewed van Dolder, Dennie and Buskens, Vincent (2014) Individual choices in dynamic networks: an experiment on social preferences. PLoS ONE, 9 (4). e92276. ISSN 1932-6203 http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0092276 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092276 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092276 |
| spellingShingle | van Dolder, Dennie Buskens, Vincent Individual choices in dynamic networks: an experiment on social preferences |
| title | Individual choices in dynamic networks: an experiment on social preferences |
| title_full | Individual choices in dynamic networks: an experiment on social preferences |
| title_fullStr | Individual choices in dynamic networks: an experiment on social preferences |
| title_full_unstemmed | Individual choices in dynamic networks: an experiment on social preferences |
| title_short | Individual choices in dynamic networks: an experiment on social preferences |
| title_sort | individual choices in dynamic networks: an experiment on social preferences |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/30842/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/30842/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/30842/ |