Peter Kollock

The Emergence of Exchange Structures: An Experimental Study of Uncertainty, Commitment, and Trust'

An experiment is used to investigate the effects of uncertainty on pattern of exchange. The role of reputation as an important factor related to the formation of stable exchange relations is examined. In addition, some of the consequences of differences patterns of exchange-in particular, how different exchange conditions lead to different levels of trust among trading partners-are investigated. The results of the experiment indicate significant differences in the level of commitment, concern for ones own and others reputation, and the level of trust that emerge when uncertainty (in the form of information asymmetries) is varied.

Sex and Power in Interaction: Conversational Privileges and Duties

This paper examines conversational behavior which previous research suggests is differentiated on the basis of sex. Interaction is conceptualized in terms of a sexual division of labor wherein men dominate conversation and women behave in a supportive manner. The literature raises the question of whether these differences in conversational patterns are tied to power as well as sex. A study was designed to determine which of a set of variables reflecting conversational duties and privileges are linked to power, to sex, or to both. The data were coded from interactions of intimate couples divided among those with both partners sharing power equally and those where one partner has more power. Three types of couples were compared: cross-sex couples, male couples, and female couples. Interruptions and back channels are linked to power regardless of the sex of the actor, as are tag questions, although the rarity of their occurrence makes any conclusions tentative. The more powerful person interrupts his or her partner more and produces lower rates of back channels and tag questions. Talking time and question asking seemed linked to both sex and power, though not in any simple way. The results of the analyses of minimal responses and overlaps proved inconclusive.

The effect of communication modality on cooperation in online environments

One of the most robust findings in the sociological literature is the positive effect of communication on cooperation and trust. When individuals are able to communicate, cooperation increases significantly. How does the choice of communication modality influence this effect? We adapt the social dilemma research paradigm to quantitatively analyze different modes of communication. Using this method, we compare four forms of communication: no communication, text-chat, text-to-speech, and voice. We found statistically significant differences between different forms of communication, with the voice condition resulting in the highest levels of cooperation. Our results highlight the importance of striving towards the use of more immediate forms of communication in online environments, especially where trust and cooperation are essential. In addition, our research demonstrates the applicability of the social dilemma paradigm in testing the extent to which communication modalities promote the development of trust and cooperation.

An Eye for an Eye Leaves Everyone Blind: Cooperation and Accounting Systems

Using computer simulations that permit degrees of cooperation and introduce noise into the environment, I explore the benefits of strategies in which actors use different accounting systems to track ongoing exchanges. By relaxing some stringent assumptions of past work, I chart the conditions under which cooperation may emerge when actors can show degrees of cooperation and when actors moves are misperceived. Results provide evidence that strategies employing a relaxed accounting system have many advantages.

The Judgment of Equity in Intimate Relationships

This paper examines how individuals in intimate relationships come to decide whether their relationship is equitable. We study two types of intimate relationships-married couples and heterosexual cohabiting couples-using questionnaire data to analyse how a variety of factors affect the judgment of equity. We examine characteristics concerned with traditional role differentiation, the functioning of the couple as a small group, and status-conferring attributes. Our results show striking differences from one type of actor to another in the resources that are related significantly to the judgment of equity and in the impact of different classes of variables on equity

The Logic and Practice of Generosity

Leaves Everyone Blind: Cooperation and Accounting Systems. American Sociological Review 58:768-86. Peterson, Nicolas. 1993. Demand Sharing: Reciprocity and the Pressure for Generosity among Foragers. American Anthropologist 95:86074. Sahlins, Marshall. 1972. On the Sociology of Primitive Exchange. Pp. 185-275 in Stone Age Economics. Chicago, IL: Aldine. Stinchcombe, Arthur L. 1990. Information and Organizations. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Treas, Judith. 1993. Money in the Bank: Transaction Costs and the Economic Organization of Marriage. American Sociological Review 58:723-34.