Lightweight Interactions for Reciprocal Cooperation in a Social Network Game

Lightweight Interactions for Reciprocal Cooperation in a Social Network Game

2016 Nov. The 8th International Conference on Social Informatics (SocInfo)

CyberAgent, Inc. All Rights Reserved

CyberAgent, Inc.Akihabara Laboratory

Masanori Takano & Ichiro Fukuda

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ReciprocityOne of the mechanisms for cooperation.•  This mechanism drives interaction between cooperators.Reciprocal individuals cooperate to others, if the reciprocal individuals think that these others also cooperate to the individuals.•  If reciprocal individuals think each other that

other individuals are also reciprocal→ they construct stable reciprocal relationships.

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Cooperation in Initial Meeting: Evidences

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How do reciprocal cooperators construct stable relationships?•  Cooperation in initial meetings•  Repaying cooperation from others (reciprocity)

AB

C

D

D

D

D

D

D

DAB

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

If the individuals don't cooperate→ they don't construct reciprocal relationships.

If the individuals cooperate→ they construct reciprocal relationships.

In initial meetings of reciprocal individuals,

Actually, humans tend to cooperate each other in initial meetings without prior interaction on experimental studies.e.g., Rand et. al. [2011], Grujic et. al. [2012], Wang et. al. [2012], Peysakhovich and Rand [2013]

[Axelrod, 2006] (Theoretical work)

C: CooperateD: Defect

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Risk of Initial Meeting

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In the real world, we don't cooperate each other without prior interaction.

Because, in initial meeting, we cannot know others' cooperativeness.→ We have large risks in initial interactions.

Others may be exploiters.

Therefore, we do observing, greeting, and talking (i.e., doing lightweight interaction), and then we will construct social relationships.

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Purpose and Approach

How do humans behave in initial meetings to construct reciprocal relationships?

We analyzed players' behavior based on the data of a social network game (SNG).

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Why Social Networking Games (SNG) ?The data analysis of the game data catch up other approaches.•  We can observe detail behavior data of massive players like

mathematical models and simulations.•  The data is more detail than observation studies.•  The game environment is more open-ended than others.•  We know players' benefits as their scores.

Mathematical ModelSimulation

Experiments in Lab✊ ✋

Data Analysis of SNGsObservation

Study

Partial and Biased DataHard to Understand

Clean and Detailed DataEasy to Understand

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Social Network Game

URL:h$p://vcard.ameba.jpLang:JapaneseSince:2012/10Type:RaidBa$leWeanalyzedthisgamedatafor2weeks(2013/3/25～2013/4/8)

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Basic Specification of the SNGPlayers' Goal•  Getting points and rising a ranking based on the

pointsGroup and Migration•  Each player belonged to a group（The group size: 1〜50 players）

•  A player can migrate from a group to another group at any time.

Communication•  Players communicate by using simple messaging

functions.•  Messaging almost doesn't generate benefits and costs

of players.

1: Smith（12040pt）

2: Martin（11010pt）

3: Anderson（11005pt）

4: Ken（9015pt）・・

・

Migration

Simple messaging

Cooperation

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CooperationWe focus on a specific game situation like Leader game•  In the SNG, players behave variously.•  We cannot track all cooperative behavior.

a player's this cooperation frequency in the SNG ≒ the player's cooperativeness

•  Payoff Matrix of the situation like Snowdrift game

Cooperate Defect

Cooperate -, - 1, 3Defect 3, 1 0, 0

Cooperator get 1 point.Defector get 3 point.

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FocusInitial Interactions between newcomers and

existing group members ・Newcomers: migrants within 48 hours

•  Can newcomers construct reciprocal relationships with existing members?

•  How do lightweight communication (messaging) affect to construct reciprocal relationships?

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Reciprocity: Newcomer vs. Existing MembersEffect of players' cooperative behavior and messaging for cooperation from others

Number of Cooperation from others Number of Cooperation to Others

Number of Messaging to Others

Covariates for Control

Response Variable Explanatory Variable

Number of Cooperation to Others


Newcomers'

Existing Group Members' Cooperation

Cooperation & Messaging

Newcomer flag

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Reciprocity: Newcomer vs. Existing MembersPlayers tended to cooperate with newcomers.

Number of Cooperation from others Number of Cooperation to Others






Newcomers'

Existing Group Members' Cooperation


Newcomer flag

> 0

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Results: ReciprocityCooperation positively affected cooperation from othersNewcomers' cooperation effects are larger than existing members

Number of Cooperation from others

Response Variable

Cooperation





Explanatory Variable



Existing Group Members'

Newcomer flag

> 0

> 0

Newcomers'

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Results: Lightweight InteractionMessaging also positively affected cooperation from others.Newcomers' messaging effects are larger than existing members.


Response Variable

Cooperation





Explanatory Variable




Newcomer flag

> 0

> 0

Newcomers'

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Results: Lightweight InteractionMessaging also positively affected cooperation from others.Newcomers' messaging effects are larger than existing members.








Newcomers'


> 0

> 0

This messaging doesn't have explicit meanings, benefits, and costs in the SNG.Nevertheless, it contributed to construct reciprocal relationships

Hypothesis: Messaging may explain the senders' cooperativeness.

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Messaging as a Signal of CooperativenessDid players' messaging explain their cooperativeness?

Number of Cooperation to others





Newcomers'


Cooperation

Messaging

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Results: Messaging as a Signal of CooperativenessMessaging also positively explained cooperativeness .Newcomers' this tendency was stronger than existing members.

Number of Cooperation to others





Newcomers'


> 0

> 0 Cooperation

Messaging

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SummaryNewcomers and group members constructed reciprocal

relationships. → The players resolved initial interaction risks.Cooperation in Initial Meetings•  Players in new relationships tend to cooperate more than players in

known relationships.Lightweight communications (messaging)•  It supported constructions of reciprocal relationships.•  It explained players' cooperativeness.•  Especially, it is important in initial meetings.→ This may be employed to increase senders' likelihood of cooperativeness in risky situations.

Science

Lightweight Interactions for Reciprocal Cooperation in a Social Network Game