Distributed Punishment as a Norm-Signalling Tool

Recent studies show that punishment plays a crucial role in favoring and maintaining social order. However, very little attention has been paid so far to the potential of distributed punishment. In this work we put forward the hypothesis that distributed punishment is more effective than individual punishment, because is more persuasive in conveying messages of peer condemnation and of shared norm defense. We test this hypothesis by presenting results from laboratory experiments with humans and virtual agents and from simulations solely with agents.