@ramniearh.bsky.social et al. (@squazzoni.bsky.social) show with #ABM that #money may have played a key role in the #evolution of #cooperation: #monetary exchanges enable generalized #reciprocity and resist #defection better than #reputation based strategies. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

Giorgia Lucchini compares Hayek’s and Sudgen’s views on the #emergence of #SpontaneousOrder in the #market system. She highlights the hidden dimensions of Hayek’s macro-analysis, namely mutual advantage and intentionality of individuals. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

A new paper w Manzo, Birkelund & Raub is out in Rationality and Society: 1/ journals.sagepub.com/doi/epdf/10.... Taking the opportunity of the 25th anniversary of the European Academy of Sociology (www.european-academy-sociology.eu), the statement assesses current challenges for the discipline ...

2/ ... and proposes key principles for strengthening sociology concerning closer integration of theory and empirics, commitment to open science, and engagement with wider societal debates. ...

3/ ... The statement is accompanied by an open call for commentaries by the EiC of R&S We encourage interested colleagues to submit responses to R&S. We would be grateful if you could circulate the statement and the call for commentaries to relevant scholars and research groups.

López-Pintado & Watts show that binary #decisions under #SocialInfluence can be modeled as an ‘influence-response function’: choice depends on how many others pick each option. In some cases, general knowledge of this function is enough to determine collective outcomes. #ThrowbackThursday

Sven Banisch, @eckolb.bsky.social et al. built an #ABM where #ReinforcementLearning users choose #SocialMedia platforms based on social approval and #diversity. They show a #SocialDilemma: #EchoChambers can arise even when users prefer diversity, making everyone worse off. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

Niclas Berggren develops a model that focuses on how strongly citizens believe there are #moral truths in #politics. The paper explains why this belief tends to increase the costs of #collective #organization. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

We think of the #StockMarket as unpredictable – yet for 70 years, US shares averaged a “socially acceptable price” shaped by the Great Depression. Fei Qiu and colleagues examine whether this holds beyond the US, discussing #government regulation and #CollectiveAction. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

Katie Corcoran, @cjcolyer.bsky.social, and colleagues show that #religious activities can make the devout targets of crime. They view #criminal offenders as #rational predators who pick up on vulnerability signals and exploit the opportunities these activities create. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

Laurent Gauthier shows with #GameTheory why humans benefited from using single names ( #anthroponyms like Socrates) and how exchanging this minimal identity information can promote #cooperation. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

Karl-Dieter Opp opens a new line of research by comparing two theories of #SocialNorm emergence and showcasing a #methodology of #theory integration. #SocialScience #OpenAccess 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

Artyom Jelnov studies #elections where some candidates have advantages unrelated to #competence – due to #nepotism, celebrity status, or looks. He shows that a small advantage of this sort can be amplified by rational #politicalparty leadership during #candidate selection. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

Read in February’26 issue: ✒️ How to integrate theories of norm emergence 🪪 A rational case for using first names 🙏 Why criminals target the devout 📈 How government and collective action anchor share prices #BehavioralScience #GameTheory @journals.sagepub.com 🔗 journals.sagepub.com/toc/rssa/38/1

What kind of mind is needed to sustain #cooperation? 🪞 Naïve belief that others think like me — or 🧠 Complex #TheoryOfMind that helps us read their motives? Wu finds that in sequential #PrisonersDilemma, cooperation breaks down when players model each other's minds. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

João Souto-Maior shows that Black–White #educational #inequality can paradoxically emerge even when people don't discriminate by race. #ABM study of #OpportunityHoarding where #diffusion clashes with #network #segregation and #consolidation of #race and #SES: #OpenAccess 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

Back & Flache ask whether #evolutionary models can explain why people stay committed to long-term partners even when they sometimes don’t cooperate. ✍️ #Reciprocity sustains #cooperation by punishing defection; #commitment -- by choosing and sticking with cooperative partners. #ThrowbackThursday

Jonas Stein? Doctor Jonas Stein! R&S former Managing editor, now Dr. Jonas Stein, in the midst of brilliantly defending his thesis, supervised by R&S Editor in Chief, Prof. Andreas Flache. 🔗 Reconciling epistemic and identity diversity share.google/s9XwzsqS84CK...

If people act #rationally given their preferences, why would they be #cooperative, fair and committed when they can be selfish? Güth & Kliemt explain that social #preferences persist during #evolution when they lead to objectively better outcomes than pure self-interest. #ThrowbackThursday

The quality and integrity of Rationality and Society rely on the time, care, and expertise of our volunteer reviewers. Their thoughtful evaluations help ensure contributions are rigorous, clear, and engaging. The Editorial Team warmly thanks our referees for their invaluable reviews in 2024/2025 ⤵️

As the R&S managing editor has to work from home while snowfalls lock up the Dutch transportation system, she finds herself pondering how #snowmobile trails are organized ❄️ Cue a #ThrowbackThursday read by Anttila & Stern on how local #SelfOrganization solves this #CommonPool resource problem

Is #morality "rational"? Even "broad" #RationalChoice theory doesn't fully resolve a paradox: Cheating can be seen as rational, but following a "Never lie" norm can’t 🤔 Palacio-Vera offers a way out: Reconsidering what’s rational and combining theoretical frameworks. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

Do #prosocial people sustain #cooperation? Bouman & Dijkstra @rug.nl ran an #experiment with repeated #SocialDilemma where enough resourceful players needed to invest in #PublicGood. Takeaway: When others don’t contribute, altruists quickly learn to free-ride. #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1177/1043...

Modern hunter-gatherers live by “to each according to need” rule, even though it’s not enforced by leaders or police. Why? Is #fairness ⚖️ a ‘natural duty’? Binmore traces the #evolution of this #SocialNorm back to prehistoric times, when care and resources were shared among kin. #ThrowbackThursday

Academic housekeeper (she/her) With #EqualPay and no #GenderInequality in workload, is #labor #discrimination in #academia overcome? No, say Yabut & Arapoc. Low-promotable academic housework – committee, community, admin – falls more on the shoulders of married women. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

“Bregretful” from the start 🇬🇧 Even before the UK left the EU, some #Brexit supporters were rethinking their vote. @sofizqsan.bsky.social & Kara trace who changed their minds in 2017–2019 — and what that says about using #referendums to settle complex issues. #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1177/1043...

Read in November’25 issue: 🇬🇧 Who regretted #Brexit? 🎓 What gender are “ #academic housekeepers”? 🤝 When do #altruists turn free-riders? 🤔 What explains #morality? 🧠 Does #TheoryOfMind hinder #cooperation? #BehavioralScience #GameTheory @journals.sagepub.com 🔗 journals.sagepub.com/toc/rssa/37/4

"I don't tip because society says I have to”? In the paper following the renowned book “Passions Within Reason”, Frank explains why we commit to tipping and other #SocialNorms that go against our #SelfInterest. Opening #ThrowbackThursday 🧵 on #emotions in #rationality: 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

When someone faints on the street, 🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏻 several people can jump to help — even if just one person's help is needed. But how to make sure there is at least one #volunteer among #bystanders? Konrad shows how team discussion can solve the volunteer's #dilemma. Read #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1177/1043...

⚔️ Is #Germany split 50/50 on #immigration and Islam? Windzio finds: “conservative-skeptical” and “open-trusting” Germans aren’t opposites in how they think of #minorities or state institutions — but their political views reflect different #moral values. #polarization 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

#PayGap and unequal division of household labor both contribute to a vicious circle of #GenderInequality. Youm & Laumann highlight a surprising factor that can break it: partners’ overlapping friendship circles. #ThrowbackThursday on #EqualPayDay: 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

Launching a #startup and worried your #crowdfunding campaign might fall short? Ask for less — lower targets often get overfunded 💰. Why? Barrachina & Jiménez-Fernández explain the equity crowdfunding paradox with #GameTheory. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

Caplan’s "rational irrationality" has faced many critiques. Why are people #rational in daily life but irrational on #election day 🗳️? In defense, Manor argues that political beliefs differ from other ones in two key ways — how they connect to action and how we form them. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

If better policies are out there, sticking to your guns is irrational… right? 🤔 Wrong, says Caplan. It’s rational to be biased in politics — when your vote doesn’t change the outcome, why bother scrutinizing beliefs? #ThrowbackThursday on #VoterBehavior, #PublicChoice, and rational irrationality:

What’s common between USB 💻 and birthday candles 🎂? Industry standards & social norms are results of consensus 🤝. How to reach it? Renzini’s #GameTheory #ABM shows: choosing popular partners in #SocialNetworks boosts coordination while chasing personal gain weakens it. 🔗 doi.org/10.1177/1043...

Read in August'25 issue: ⚔️ Do political disagreements hide deeper moral divides? 💰 Why do small crowdfunding goals get overshot? 🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏻 When do people step up to help? 🤝 Which networking rules foster consensus? 🗳️ Are voters “rationally irrational”? 🔗 journals.sagepub.com/toc/rssa/37/3

In #history, kinship ties made dynasties 💪 (think Medici) — but also fueled anti-elite revolts 🔥. Armandola, Doehne, and Rost use #SocialNetworks to study #CollectiveAction and reveal who joined the 1691 Basel uprising. Read #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1177/1043...

In a world of only Right and Left, do you: 🗳️ run to cast a ballot, or 🙈 ignore the #elections? Arzumanyan shows why a chasm between party platforms does not intimidate voters but boosts #turnout – unlike similar centrist policies. Read #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1177/1043...

Reading a quote about kindness, would you be moved to donate time ⌚ or money 💸 to help others? How we frame messages and incentives can affect people’s willingness to do good. Barrera, Romanò, and Bocca explore this in simple experiments and real-world tasks: doi.org/10.1177/1043...

To foster #cooperation, we either 🤝 form lasting relationships or 📝 sign contracts — but both come at a cost. Sokolova, Buskens & Raub use #GameTheory and experiments to show when people choose to invest in these strategies. Read #OpenAccess: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

As we’re waiting for Beate Völker’s #Sunbelt2025 @insna.bsky.social keynote on social capital in #SocialNetworks: Her renowned paper w/ Flap on why in totalitarian regimes, people don’t feel united — even when they can rely on each other. #ThrowbackThursday pick of today: doi.org/10.1177/1043...

By denying asylum to refugees fleeing Vietnam in 1978, Thailand shocked the world. Populism or strategic necessity in negotiations with the US? How were the fates of “boat people” decided? #ThrowbackThursday paper by Zeager on the eve of #WorldRefugeeDay: journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...

POV: you’re a healthcare intern and #COVID strikes. Do you: 🏥 show up for your internship or 🏠 #stayhome? @tteekens.bsky.social, Giardini & Wittek show how #SocialNorm beliefs affected Dutch students’ #DecisionMaking during #lockdown. Read #OpenAccess: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.... @rug.nl

Read in May'25 issue: 🤝 Why do we commit to contracts or lasting bonds? 💡 How to spark more prosocial actions? 🏥 Why did interns choose to work in lockdown hospitals? 🗳️ Does voter turnout rise under polarization? 🔥 What drives people to join uprisings? journals.sagepub.com/toc/rssa/37/2

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