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Related Experiment Videos

Antisocial punishment across societies.

Benedikt Herrmann1, Christian Thöni, Simon Gächter

  • 1Centre for Decision Research and Experimental Economics, University of Nottingham, School of Economics, Sir Clive Granger Building, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|March 8, 2008
PubMed
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Antisocial punishment, sanctioning prosocial individuals, is widespread globally. Its prevalence varies by society, sometimes undermining cooperation, and is linked to weak civic norms and rule of law.

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Economics
  • Social Psychology
  • Cross-cultural Studies

Background:

  • Punishment is often assumed to enhance cooperation in social dilemmas.
  • However, the impact of punishment depends on who is being punished.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the phenomenon of antisocial punishment globally.
  • To identify factors influencing the prevalence and impact of antisocial punishment.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted public goods experiments across 16 diverse participant pools worldwide.
  • Analyzed cross-societal variations in punishment behaviors.

Main Results:

  • Documented widespread antisocial punishment, where prosocial individuals are sanctioned.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Observed significant cross-societal variation in antisocial punishment.
  • Found that antisocial punishment can negate the cooperation-enhancing effects of punishment.
  • Identified weak civic cooperation norms and weak rule of law as predictors of antisocial punishment.

    • Conclusions:

    • Punishment is only beneficial for cooperation when strong social norms are present.
    • Antisocial punishment poses a significant challenge to the effectiveness of sanctions in promoting prosocial behavior.