David E. Willer University of South Carolina
This research tests theory that places three contrasting actors: an individualist, prosocial, and competitor in the positions of two exchange networks. Individualists are actors who rationally seek to maximize payoffs only to self. Prosocials are equally rational but seek to maximize payoffs to self and other(s) while minimizing payoff differences. Competitors are also rational actors, but they seek to maximize the difference between payoffs to self and to other(s). Placing all combinations of the three actors in dyads and three-actor power structures generates highly contrasting predictions for interaction processes and outcomes. This research will experimentally test those predictions.
BROADER IMPACTS: The broader impact of this research is that if the theory of this proposal is supported, it will reject exchange theory's justification for using only the individualist actor and thereby call for a wide-ranging change in the way that exchange theory is formulated in sociology, game theory and economics.
The study of Social Value Orientations (SVO) bridges from sociological social psychology to psychological social psychology and to economics. SVOs vary by the person’s utilities. The proself benefits only by payoffs to self. The prosocial benefits by the sum of payoffs to self and other to the extent that the two are equal. Competitors gain by the difference between payoff to self minus payoff to other. Extensive research focusing on games such as prisoner’s dilemma and, more broadly, on social dilemma’s has found that roughly the same number of people act generously as prosocials as act to optimize payoffs to self as proselves. The results of our research are strikingly different. Instead of social dilemmas, we placed people with contrasting SVOs in exchange relations and social structures. Our results strongly imply that exchange relations and social structures overwhelm the effects of social value orientations resulting in prosocials behaving exactly like proselves. These results also imply that 'strong reciprocaters' are a myth. Those results are based on experiments that run subjects with contrasting social value orientations in contrasting social exchange structures. Social value orientations do not affect outcomes in dyads or outcomes in power structures. Furthermore, social value orientations do not affect the likelihood that a coalition will form or, once formed, will effectively countervail power. These are not just 'negative' results. To the contrary, they call for the development of scope conditions limiting the range of social circumstances in which social value orientations will have effects. There are implications for social policy in these results. There is a current of thinking that social value orientations alone can solve human social problems. This research strongly suggests that, because social problems are social and not social psychological, effective reform cannot come from encouraging the development of prosocial personalities. Even if such personalities could be fostered, they do not obviate the need for fundamental social change.
