Social Exchange Networks: A Review of Experimental Studies

Abstract This article surveys laboratory experiments on social exchange networks. The method of laboratory experiments is prominent in this field. The various theoretical perspectives informing the experiments are grouped into three approaches: the first, dominated by network-exchange theory, is mainly concerned with power and structure, the second discusses social-psychological approaches and emphasizes behavioral and psychological dimensions such as reciprocity, emotions and cohesion, and the third is concerned with game-theoretic experiments embedded in network structures.