The Study of Social Structure, Identity, and Exchange

这项研究考察了更广泛的科学问题，即社会结构和人类机构如何相互作用，影响人们如何在小型交换网络中谈判资源，以及这些网络中个人之间发展的联系。具体地说，这项研究研究了三人和四人网络中的人如何就资源讨价还价，以及当他们的公平认同(他们对自己的看法从低到高)被激活时，他们的讨价还价如何被修改以产生更多(或更少)的平等和更多(或更少)团结。研究还将操纵公平身份在讨价还价情境中是否被验证，以检验个体针对身份反馈而设计的谈判策略。主要研究人员在两年的时间里进行了三次实验。在其中两个实验中，他们创建了一个权力不平衡的网络，并研究了不同级别的权力和不同级别的公平如何影响个人是否平等地分配资源。他们还研究了公平身份在网络中不同位置的不同分布如何影响资源的划分。在第三个实验中，他们创建了由三人和四人组成的权力平衡网络，以研究结构性排斥如何改变公平身份对人们谈判方式的影响。在所有三项研究中，个体都经历了身份验证或非身份验证，以跟踪这如何影响他们的行为反应。此外，这项研究还追踪了结果的平等以及个人之间是否建立了社会纽带。这项研究的发现对理解我们社会中的不平等具有广泛的意义。结果将告诉我们，个人的各个方面(这里是一个人的公平身份)如何改变资源谈判的方式(加剧或抑制谈判可能导致的相对剥夺)，以及影响信任和团结等积极关系的发展。更广泛地说，这些结果将有助于我们深入了解一个人的身份认同是如何通过改变基于一个人的权力地位而产生的影响来影响结果的。这些发现对社会科学家、公共政策分析师和基层组织来说特别有价值，他们研究并希望减少社会中的不平等。在教育方面，这项研究还促进了本科生和研究生的研究培训，因为学生在实验设计和理论测试方面获得了专业知识。

This research examines the broader scientific question regarding how social structure and human agency interact to affect how people negotiate for resources in small exchange networks as well as the ties that develop between individuals in those networks. Specifically, this research studies how those in three- and four-person networks bargain over resources, and how their bargaining is modified to produce more (or less) equality and more (or less) solidarity when their fairness identity (how fair they perceive themselves to be, ranging from low to high) is activated in a situation. The research also will manipulate whether the fairness identity is verified or not verified during the bargaining situation to examine the negotiation strategies that individuals devise in response to the identity feedback. The principal investigators conduct three experiments over two years. In two of the experiments, they create a power-imbalanced network and examine how different levels of power and different levels of fairness influence whether individuals come to divide resources equally. They also examine how different distributions of the fairness identity across positions in the network affect the division of resources. In the third experiment, they create power-balanced networks of three- and four-persons to study how structurally induced exclusion modifies the effects of the fairness identity on how people negotiate. In all three studies, individuals experience identity verification or non-verification to track how this influences their behavioral responses. Additionally, the research tracks the equality in outcomes and whether social bonds are forged among individuals. Findings from this research have broad implications for understanding inequality in our society. The results will tell us how aspects of the individual (here, one's fairness identity) modify how resources are negotiated (either exacerbating or suppressing the relative deprivation that can result from these negotiations) as well as influence the development of positive ties such as trust and solidarity. More generally, the results will lend insight into how one's identity influences outcomes in a situation by modifying the effects that emerge on the basis of one's position of power. These findings are particularly valuable to social scientists, public policy analysts, and grass-roots organizations that examine and want to reduce inequality in society. Educationally, this research also advances undergraduate and graduate training in research, as students gain expertise in experimental design and theory testing.