Limitation of Time Promotes Cooperation in Structured Collaboration Systems

Temporal networks are obtained from time-dependent interactions among individuals, whereas the interactions can be emails, phone calls, face-to-face meetings, or work collaboration. In this article, a temporal game framework is established, in which interactions among rational individuals are embedded into two-player games in a time-dependent manner. This allows studying the time-dependent complexity and variability of interactions, and the way they affect prosocial behaviors. Based on this simple mathematical model, it is found that the level of cooperation is promoted when the time of collaboration is equally limited for every individual. This observation is confirmed by a series of systematic human experiments on over 1,400 subjects, forming a foundation for comprehensively describing human temporal interactions in collaboration. The research results reveal an important incentive for human cooperation, leading to a better understanding of a fascinating aspect of human nature in society.