Punishment or Pettiness? The Game Theory Behind Spite | with Rory Smead

In this episode, our guest Rory Smead shares insights on spite and what game theory can teach us about this puzzling behaviour. He explains why people sometimes punish others even at a cost to themselves, and whether this can be understood through more than just fairness. Using the ultimatum game as a central example, he discusses how spite can influence decision-making and what this reveals about both human and animal behaviour.   Rory Smead is Professor of Philosophy and the Ronald L. and Linda A. Rossetti Professor for the Humanities at Northeastern University. His research focuses on philosophy of science, philosophy of biology, logic, and game theory, with a particular interest in understanding social behaviour through formal models.

In this episode we are talking to Timo Vogelsang about why incentives aimed at reducing absenteeism can sometimes have the opposite effect. Based on a Field Experiment in a German supermarket chain, he explains why offering bonuses for attendance backfired. We also explore how incentives can unintentionally shape beliefs and undermine motivation.   Timo Vogelsang is Associate Professor of Managerial Accounting at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. His research focuses on behavioural economics and public policy, with a particular interest in how incentives shape motivation and behaviour in real-world settings. You can find the paper Timo talks about in the episode here.

In this episode, we sit down with Philipp Strack to explore the hidden consequences of overconfidence. From distorted learning to discrimination and systemic bias, Philipp explains to us how overestimating ourselves can quietly shape our decisions, relationships, and even society — and why it’s not always a bad thing.   Philipp Strack is a professor of Economics at Yale University with a secondary appointment as Professor of Computer Science. His research focus lies in decision-making and behavioral economics in dynamic contexts as well as in concepts like information cost and privacy, among others.

In this episode we explore how historical kinship structures, shaped in part by decisions of the Catholic Church, may have fundamentally changed the way humans are able to cooperate on a large scale. Using game theoretic concepts like reciprocity and network structure, we uncover how bans on cousin marriages and even modern Facebook data can help explain patterns of trust and cooperation today.   Jonathan Schulz is Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at George Mason University and Co-Principal Investigator of the interdisciplinary Historical Psychology Project. His research focuses on the historical and psychological roots of economic development, with a particular interest in how social networks and kinship structures influence cooperation.

In this episode together with our guest Klaus M. Schmidt, we explore the economic challenges behind global climate agreements. We discuss why past agreements like the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement struggled to deliver the desired results and examine how a new negotiation design centered on a uniform CO₂ price could lead to better outcomes. Klaus also shares insights from experimental studies testing this approach in practice.   Klaus M. Schmidt is an economics professor at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, and an expert in social preferences and contract theory, among others.  

In this episode, we explore how globalization has shaped trade and innovation—and why rising protectionism is challenging its benefits. What happens when countries impose tariffs and trade restrictions? And how can policymakers navigate the balance between open markets and domestic interests?   Claudia Steinwender is a Professor of Economics at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Her research focuses on international trade, innovation, and economic history, with a particular emphasis on how globalization shapes firm behavior and trade dynamics.  

In this episode we are speaking with Sarah Mathew about cooperation – especially how cooperation is achieved in the absence of institutions. Sarah gives some theoretical background, shares the concept of free rider problems and the relationship to punishment. She then illustrates the background based on her fieldwork: She has studied how the Turkana people achieve cooperation when going on raids with possibly even deadly consequences for individual warriors.   Sarah Mathew is Associate Professor at the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University. Her research is focused on studying why humans cooperate and how the evolution of this unique form of cooperation is tied to the origins of moral sentiments, cultural norms, and warfare. To address these issues, she combines formal modelling of the evolution of cooperation with fieldwork.

In this episode we are speaking with philosopher Daniel Williams about misinformation—what it is, how it spreads, and whether it is truly on the rise in the form of “fake news”. We also explore why people cling to irrational beliefs and how rationalization shapes public discourse. Finally, Daniel shares strategies for tackling misinformation and engaging with those who hold questionable beliefs.   Daniel Williams is a philosopher and researcher at the University of Sussex. His research is focused on the social functions and causes of beliefs with a special interest in self-deception, religious beliefs, political ideologies, and delusions. In his blog conspicuous cognition https://www.conspicuouscognition.com/ Dan publishes interesting essays on various topics.  

In our 100th episode, we bring together Matthias Schranner of the Schranner Negotiation Institute and Sebastian Moritz from TWS Partners to celebrate the power of Game Theory in high stakes negotiations. We explore real-world negotiation cases, discuss the Game Theory perspective on successful strategies, and highlight how the two intersect to empower decision-makers. Join us as we reflect on 100 episodes of insights and celebrate the partnership between Schranner Negotiation Institute and TWS Partners!   Matthias Schranner is an FBI trained negotiation expert who together with his team at the Schranner Negotiation Institute advises business and government leaders around the globe in navigating high stakes situations. Sebastian Moritz is managing partner at TWS Partners and advises global executives and organizations on strategic negotiations, incentive systems, transformation, and sustainability, blending game theory expertise with a passion for innovation.    

In this episode, Topi Miettinen shares his view and research on insights from Game Theory on international conflicts. We start discussing different examples of conflicts, e.g.  complex negotiations within the EU and even war. Based on the examples Topi shares his research on the role of commitment to finding agreements. He also shares how his research extends from a bilateral negotiation (as in a war of two parties) situation to a multilateral situation (as in the EU).   Topi Miettinen is professor of economics at Hanken School of Economics and Helsinki Graduate School of Economics. His research focuses on behavioural and experimental economics, microeconomics, and game theory.