A Social Exchange Approach to Voluntary Cooperation

Abstract

A social exchange approach to voluntary cooperation is developed on the assumption that voluntary cooperative behavior is motivated by social approval, which is conceptualized as an emotional activity. The associated unique Nash equilibrium may have attractive welfare properties and provides an understanding of spontaneous norm emergence. Furthermore, the opening of a market or government intervention for the collective good is shown to affect voluntary cooperation negatively. Copyright 1990 by American Economic Association.