Amsterdam Cooperation Lab (ACL) is located at the VU Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We are composed of behavioral and social scientists interested in understanding how humans cooperate together to create mutually rewarding experiences and resources. We apply experimental methods, field methods, and meta-analysis, to test basic theory and hypotheses about human cooperation. Often, we study cooperation in situations when cooperation is difficult to achieve, such as in social dilemmas. Social dilemmas occur when each person has a tempting option to not cooperate and benefit from the cooperation of others. However, if everyone decided not to cooperate, then everyone receives a worse outcome compared to if everyone decided to cooperate. Social dilemmas can occur in almost any domain in our social lives, such as in close relationships, coworkers in an organization, members of a society, and between groups. Here you find out more about our research programs, the people working in the lab, recent publications, the Cooperation Databank Project, and a conference we will organize.
If you are interested in joining the lab, you may contact the director: Daniel Balliet.