Reciprocity as source of Coordination and Spontaneous Cooperation

The diffusion of yhe use of reciprocity as an alternative as an complementary category to standard economic behaviours is connected to the creation and development ,during the last thirty years, of experimental economics and behavioural economics. This paper analyses, the concept of reciprocity as a source of spontaneous cooperation in the Prisoner's Dilemma and in the Gift-Exchange Game (both in the one-shot and repeated game versions). In order to attain spontaneous coordination a relational strategy based upon a cognitive-relstional structure of agtrrment assumes, that the participants share not only the traditionally intended payoffs, but also social values and relational norms and that, out of respect for these, they will be willing to forsake their own personal interests