Understanding Tag Systems by Comparing Tag Models

Abstract

Since Holland (1993) introduced the concept of tags a number of tag models with intriguing and potentially very useful, properties have been advanced. However there is currently little understanding as to the exact mechanisms that produce these results. Specifically it is not known what (if any) are the necessary conditions for tag systems to produce high levels of cooperation in social dilemmas. In this paper by comparing existing tag models to formulate a hypothesis and then using simulation we identify what appears be a necessary condition for high cooperation. Previous tag models implicitly contained the condition but authors did not identify the significance of it.