The Emergence of Exchange Structures: An Experimental Study of Uncertainty, Commitment, and Trust1

Abstract

Abstract The emergence of social structure has been a chronically underexamined topic across all areas in sociology (Coleman 1986). In particular, the feature of social structure that is examined here—the emergence of stable exchange relationships—has received very little empirical attention. The purpose of this study is to begin to explore this issue experimentally, examining the effects of a crucial variable—uncertainty—on the patterns of exchange that emerge. A further goal is to examine the role of reputation as an important factor related to the formation of stable exchange relations and to examine some of the consequences of different patterns of exchange—in particular, how different exchange conditions lead to different levels of trust among trading partners.