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Figure 9.1
The self-reinforcing cycle of conformity
'The player expects that the fixed reference system be binding for himself and for the
others.(..) The player expects that his adversary has the same expectations towards him
[a rather psychological construct!]. We define these 'constitutive expectations''. Persons'
treatments of their interpersonal environments are governed by constitutive expectancies, that
is, they trust each other.
'The concept of trust is related to the concept of perceively normal environments as follows. To say
that one person 'trusts' another means that (..) the player takes for granted the basic rules of the
game as a definition of his situation, and that means of course as a definition of his relationship
to others.' (p. 193)
The events in environments are perceived as normal (see discussion in Section 9.6 on trust
and norms).
It is interesting that in Garfinkel's analysis those expectations play cognitive, pragmatic,
and normative roles; they provide the 'frame' for interpreting what is happening; they guide
the decision about what to do; they create not only predictions but entitled prescriptions and
commitments (Castelfranchi, 2003).
One should model in a more systematic and explicit way (also by modeling the internal
mechanisms of the agents) this cycle of routines ; how 'social structures are typically maintained
in a routinary way' (Figure 9.1).
X observes a given, seemingly regular practice and on such a basis interprets it as a rule
of the game, as what should be done, what to expect next time from the others; but also
as what they have to do (in a given role). Thus, on one hand, they conform to that practice
(also because they believe that the others expect something and prescribe this behavior); on
the other hand, they create a pressure (through this behavior ( signaling ) and monitoring) on
the others to conform. This actually reproduces that regularity; reinforces those beliefs and
goals and makes them rule-based, routine mechanisms; confirms the validity of the 'frame'
of interpretation; confirms that those are the rules of the game they are playing. Thus the
cycle is self-maintaining and enforcing, and self-stabilizing (but only thanks to the cognitive
immergence and behavioral emergence ).
It is also important to notice and point out (Pendenza, 2000) that this kind of trust is 'natural',
'naive' (we would prefer to call it 'routine'), not based on specific reasons, reasoning, and
assumptions, but just a basic reinforced attitude; just by-default, and rather automatic. It is a
trust based on routines and habits. And the 'act' of trusting itself is not such a real 'decision'
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