Expectations of Reciprocal Generosity Are Specific to Equal Relationships

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Behavioral Economics
• Sociology

Background:

• Classic theories emphasize reciprocity: generosity is expected to be returned.
• Ethnographic observations suggest generosity can set a precedent for future actions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether generosity elicits expectations of reciprocation or a precedent for future generosity.
• To identify conditions under which each type of expectation arises.

Main Methods:

• Six online behavioral experiments with 599 U.S. adults.
• Utilized third-party vignette judgments and first-person incentivized economic games.

Main Results:

• Reciprocity expectations were observed only in equal or symmetric relationships.
• In unequal relationships, participants expected the generous actor to continue their generosity.
• These findings held across various roles, contexts, and cost structures.

Conclusions:

• The findings challenge the universality of reciprocity as the sole expectation following generosity.
• Relationship dynamics significantly influence expectations, with precedent-setting being common in non-equal relationships.
• Classic reciprocity models may be limited to specific social contexts like interactions among strangers or equals.