Research Summary
Research Summary
Cooperation and Solidarity
Description
A third line of work explores the determinants of cooperative behavior within groups specifically the phenomenon of solidarity, which is understood as pro-social helping behavior which is not likely to be reciprocated directly by the receiver. Such behavior can be found in the offline world, but also in the widespread communities of the online world, as, for example, knowledge or file sharing networks. Understanding the determinants of solidarity helps to improve the rules and other alterable conditions of all kinds of communities. While this topic is actually slowly fading out in my research agenda, it naturally informs my more current research on reputation systems and means to make anonymous markets work.