Direct and Indirect Influence of Altruistic Behavior in a Social Network.

ABSTRACT: Prior research has suggested that recipients of generosity behave more generously themselves (a direct social influence). In contrast, there is conflicting evidence about the existence of indirect influence (i.e., whether interacting with a recipient of generosity causes one to behave more generously), casting doubt on the possibility that altruistic behavior can cascade through social networks. The current study investigated how far selfish and generous behavior can be transmitted through social networks and the cognitive mechanisms that underlie such transmission. Participants played a sequence of public goods games comprising a chain network. This network is advantageous because it permits only a single, unambiguous path of influence. Furthermore, we experimentally manipulated the behav

SUBMITTER: Liu PP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4607358 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature