The Effects of Population Structures on Cooperation and Information Cascades

Throughout life on earth, cooperation can be observed in many forms, ranging from interaction between cellular organisms to the foundations of productive societies. Within the scope of game theory, the act of cooperation can be considered as an altruistic act that produces some form of benefit for others which collectively can support the well-being of entire groups of individuals. However, these acts of cooperation can be vulnerable to the acts of opportunistic cheaters, who may take advantage of these benefits whilst giving nothing in return. During this dilemma, individuals may determine which others they choose to associate with when engaging in cooperative acts. This decision-making may be based upon privately held opinions and preferences and publicly observable factors present within their environment. This project seeks to explore how the availability and variation of these kinds of information available to individuals can potentially affect the cultivation of long-term cooperation in networks of interconnected individuals. Several projects are undertaken to explore the key questions posed, which includes observing the effects of simulated opinion diversity, observable historical actions of individuals and how pre-existing methods of evaluating networks can be used to aid with decision makings. In general, the findings of the project illustrate the importance of individual agency during decision-making, how publicly available information can influence cooperative dynamics, the factors which can disrupt these cooperative efforts and raises the question of network stability vs. individual prosperity.