Cooperation in the prisoner’s dilemma as a function of interpersonal distance

Abstract

The prisoner’s dilemma game was played by Ss seated either physically close together or separated by a substantial physical distance. With greater distance, there were significantly fewer mutually cooperative choices, smaller earnings, and greater differences in outcome between the two players. Mutual cooperation among Ss in the far condition remained relatively infrequent throughout the trial sequence and extinguished completely in later trials. © 1972, The Psychonomic Society, Inc.. All rights reserved.