If a friend treats you to coffee, you might return the favor next time. Behavioral economic studies have long noted this pattern of reciprocal generosity. However, anthropologists and social scientists have observed that in relationships where power, status, or influence is unequal, such reciprocity is uncommon. Researchers at MIT have now shown experimentally that slight changes in relationship dynamics can significantly alter behaviors and expectations of reciprocal generosity.<\/p>\n
In interactions involving people of different social status, generosity typically flows one way and may be either upward or downward. For instance, a professor might always buy coffee for students, or a student might always assist a resident advisor with groceries. Once a pattern is set, it tends to persist. According to the study, keeping track of turns in doing favors is unusual in social interactions and requires extra effort to maintain equal relationships.<\/p>\n
Rebecca Saxe, a professor at MIT and the senior author of the study published in “Open Mind,” explains that in many relationships, whether intimate or hierarchical, maintaining a tally of favors is unnecessary. “We follow precedent because it simplifies expectations, eliminating the need to remember past actions,” she says. The study was led by MIT graduate student Alicia Chen.<\/p>\n
Typically, studies on generosity have been framed within behavioral economics and game theory, where participants interact with strangers in controlled settings. These studies often find that reciprocity and turn-taking are default strategies. However, these experiments lack the real-world social context present in existing relationships.<\/p>\n
Saxe and Chen aimed to measure the impact of social context by incorporating relationships into experiments assessing generosity expectations. Saxe notes that generosity becomes complex within existing relationships as it alters relationship terms. The expectations within a relationship differ significantly from those outside it.<\/p>\n
The researchers conducted experiments where participants read stories about various interactions, with some scenarios involving symmetric or asymmetric relationships, such as aunt-niece or manager-employee. Scenarios included everyday interactions like buying coffee for a coworker or cooking for family. Participants predicted future actions based on these interactions.<\/p>\n
The study found that people anticipated reciprocal generosity in symmetric relationships, like friendships or equal colleagues. However, in asymmetric relationships, where social status differed, people expected established patterns to continue. This suggests that reciprocity is not the norm but an exception, primarily occurring among equals or strangers.<\/p>\n
In asymmetric relationships, established generosity tends to persist in one direction. For example, after an older brother buys concert tickets for a younger brother, participants expected this to continue. “When the relationship is asymmetric, people don’t expect reciprocity but expect the same action to persist,” says Chen.<\/p>\n
Following precedents not only eases interactions but also helps define and solidify relationships. Gift-giving, as anthropologists have observed, plays a role in constructing and maintaining social bonds. Saxe mentions that adhering to a precedent can actively maintain relationships and hierarchies when the exchange reflects relationship asymmetry.<\/p>\n
The researchers are developing computational models to analyze factors influencing whether someone might reciprocate generosity. These models will incorporate existing theories and additional elements, such as the benefits each person receives and cultural expectations. Chen notes, “These models allow us to quantitatively compare different theories regarding people’s actions.”<\/p>\n