The Existence and Effect of Reciprocity under Non-Monetary Punishment

Experimental Evidence from Impunity Games

Abstract

     Comparing the results obtained in an experiment on the fixed matching impunity game with multiple rounds and those obtained in an experiment on the random matching impunity game with multiple rounds, we examine whether reciprocity under the condition of non-monetary punishment exists when proposers distribute money. The experimental results indicate that, in the fixed matching treatment, proposer participants offered more money to receiver participants when the receiver participants had accepted the offer in the last round than when the last offer was rejected, but in the random matching treatment, proposer participants did not. This result suggests that proposers can be affected by non-monetary punishment and act on a reciprocal basis.