This paper investigates the dynamics of deception and retribution in repeated ultimatum bargaining. Anonymous dyads exchanged messages and offers in a series of four ultimatum bargaining games that had prospects for relatively large monetary outcomes. Variations in each party's knowledge of the...

Although fairness concerns may be relevant, they appear to be too simple an explanation for why game theory's strong predictions for ultimatum games are so rarely supported. Self interested offerers want to avoid rejections; unpredicted, non-equilibrium behavior is more valuable and effective...