AUTHOR=Fischer Sven , Grechenig Kristoffel , Meier Nicolas 

TITLE=Monopolizing Sanctioning Power under Noise Eliminates Perverse Punishment But Does Not Increase Cooperation

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00180

DOI=10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00180

ISSN=1662-5153

ABSTRACT=<p>We run several experiments which allow us to compare <italic>cooperation</italic> under <italic>perfect</italic> and <italic>imperfect information</italic> in a <italic>centralized</italic> and <italic>decentralized punishment</italic> regime. Under perfect and extremely noisy information, aggregate behavior does not differ between institutions. Under intermediate noise, punishment escalates in the decentralized peer-to-peer punishment regime which badly affects efficiency while sustaining cooperation for longer. Only decentralized punishment is often directed at cooperators (perverse punishment). We report several, sometimes subtle, differences in punishment behavior, and how contributions react.</p>