One of the most consistent findings in experimental studies of social dilemmas is the positive influence of face-to-face (FtF) communication on cooperation. The FtF "communication effect" has been recently explained in terms of a "focus theory of norms": successful communication focuses agents...

Do communication and identification necessarily inhibit trust? Or can they diminish trust- particularly in situations when communication discloses certain hitherto unknown cues about one's interlocutors? To study this question I use a simple lab experiment, where people play first-movers in...

In recent years, we have witnessed the notable accomplishments of numerous Internet-based large-scale collaborations, which typically rely on small contributions by many participants. In the first part of the paper we highlight the political relevance and significance of such collaborations, and...