The human face of game theory: Trust and reciprocity in sequential games

2003 by Russell Sage Foundation. All rights reserved. The high degree of initial cooperation among strangers is a fascinating empirical regularity. This is not to say that all individuals begin by behaving cooperatively, nor is it the case that a given individual always begins by behaving cooperatively. Humans tend to be conditional cooperators, basing their decision to cooperate on initial expectations about their counterparts. How are these expectations formed? Our view is that humans share a capacity to read one another's intentions through a set of cues such as facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice. The ability to read intentions has evolved along with the mechanisms for displaying intentions.

The human face of game theory: Trust and reciprocity in sequential games Chapter