Date of This Version
November 2010
Abstract
This paper examines the role of pro-social behavior as a mechanism for the establishment and maintenance of cooperation in resource use under variable social and environmental conditions. By coupling resource stock dynamics with social dynamics concerning compliance to a social norm prescribing non-excessive resource extraction in a common pool resource (CPR), we show that when reputational considerations matter and a sufficient level of social stigma affects the violators of a norm, sustainable outcomes are achieved. We find large parameter regions where norm-observing and norm-violating types coexist, and analyze to what extent such coexistence depends on the environment.
Recommended Citation
Tavoni, Alessandro; Schlüter, Maja; and Levin, Simon, "The Survival of the Conformist: Social Pressure and Renewable Resource Management" (November 19, 2010). Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei Working Papers. Paper 515.
https://services.bepress.com/feem/paper515