Publication: Computational behavioral models in public goods games with migration between groups
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2021-12
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In Journal of Physics: Complexity
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Abstract
In this study we have simulated numerically two models of linear public goods games where players
are equally distributed among a given number of groups. Agents play in their group by using two
simple sets of rules, called ‘blind’ and ‘rational’ model, respectively, that are inspired by the
observed behavior of human participants in laboratory experiments. In addition, unsatisfied agents
have the option of leaving their group and migrating to a new random one through probabilistic
choices. Stochasticity, and the introduction of two types of players in the blind model, help
simulate the heterogeneous behavior that is often observed in experimental work. Our numerical
simulations of the corresponding dynamical systems show that being able to leave a group when
unsatisfied favors contribution and avoids free-riding to a good extent in a range of the
enhancement factor where defection would prevail without migration. Our numerical simulation
presents results that are qualitatively in line with known experimental data when human agents are
given the same kind of information about themselves and the other players in the group. This is
usually not the case with customary mathematical models based on replicator dynamics or
stochastic approaches. As a consequence, models like the ones described here may be useful for
understanding experimental results and also for designing new experiments by first running cheap
computational simulations instead of doing costly preliminary laboratory work. The downside is
that models and their simulation tend to be less general than standard mathematical approaches.
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Keywords
Behavioral models, Cooperation, Migration, Public goods game
Bibliographic citation
Tomassini, M., & Antonioni, A. (2021). Computational behavioral models in public goods games with migration between groups. In Journal of Physics: Complexity (Vol. 2, Issue 4, p. 045013). IOP Publishing.