When a friend buys you a cup of coffee, you’re likely to return the gesture next time. This type of reciprocal generosity has been well-documented in behavioral economic studies. However, anthropologists and social scientists have known for decades that in relationships where one person has more power, status, or influence, reciprocal generosity is usually not the norm. Researchers at MIT have experimentally demonstrated for the first time that small changes to the relationship context can dramatically change people’s actions and expectations of reciprocal generosity.
During interactions between people of different social statuses, people tend to expect that generosity will flow one way, either upwards or downwards. For example, a professor may always buy coffee for her students, or a student may always help carry groceries for his resident advisor. Once a precedent is established, it is expected to continue. One interpretation of these findings is that keeping track of whose turn it is to do a favor is the exception in social interactions, not the rule. Rebecca Saxe, the John W. Jarve Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, states, “In many intimate, hierarchical, or role-based relationships, you don’t put in the work of trying to keep track of turns.”
Most experimental studies of generosity have been conducted in the context of behavioral economics and game theory. In such experiments, people are usually paired with a stranger and asked to play coordination games. However, these scenarios strip away any social context that might exist between people in the real world. Saxe and Alicia Chen aimed to measure the effects of social context by incorporating relationships into experiments evaluating people’s expectations regarding generosity.
The researchers designed experiments where participants read stories about different types of interactions. In some scenarios, the subjects were described as having symmetric or asymmetric relationships. In others, they were given specific social relationships like aunt-niece or manager-employee. Each story depicted interactions typical in daily life, such as buying coffee for a co-worker or preparing a meal for family. Participants were then asked to predict what would happen the next time the interaction occurred.
In all scenarios, the researchers found that people expected generous acts to be reciprocated in symmetric relationships, such as friends or co-workers of equal rank. However, their expectations changed for asymmetric relationships, where each person holds different social status. In these cases, people expected any set precedent to continue in the future. Researchers suggest that reciprocity is not the norm but an exception that occurs only in interactions between equals or strangers. Many interactions occur with people in asymmetric relationships, and to maintain those relationships, it is simply easier to follow precedent. Saxe explains, “If there’s no need to keep track of our equal status, then in some ways it’s the default to fall back on following precedents.”
The study showed that in asymmetric relationships, generosity could flow in either direction. Once that direction was established, it was expected to continue. For example, after an older brother bought concert tickets for a much younger brother, study participants expected the older brother to buy tickets for the next concert as well. Chen noted, “We found that when people know the relationship is asymmetric, they don’t expect reciprocity; they expect the same action to keep on going.”
Following precedents is not only easier but also helps solidify and define existing relationships. Anthropologists have long known that gift-giving aids in constructing and maintaining social relationships. Saxe adds, “Following a precedent can be a way of actively maintaining relationships and hierarchies when the asymmetry of the exchange truly reflects the asymmetry of the relationship.” The researchers are now working on computational models to analyze different factors people consider when contemplating whether someone might reciprocate a generous act. In addition to the factors examined in this study, others could include how much each person benefits, the type of relationship, and culturally specific expectations.
“One powerful aspect of these models is that we can build in existing theories, add elements, and then compare how much these extra factors, like considerations related to social relationships, matter in terms of explaining what people are doing,” Chen states. “This allows us to quantitatively compare the different theories.”
The research was funded by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation.
Blogger's Review: This study provides significant insights into understanding reciprocal behavior in interpersonal relationships, especially in contexts of power asymmetry. By incorporating social relationships into experimental design, the researchers reveal how individuals adjust their expectations of generous actions based on different social backgrounds. This not only has profound implications for psychology and sociology but also offers valuable insights for navigating interpersonal relationships in everyday life.