| Abstract: |
This study is an attempt to determine how much individuals should invest in communication in a social context. Two simple models of social relationships are considered, depending on the symmetry or asymmetry of links. In both models, individuals emit costly signals to advertise their “qualities†as potential friends (e.g. by posting relevant messages). The study shows that costly communication can be a profitable strategy, and not only for the most successful individuals. It also reveals interesting phenomena, such as the collective limitation of signaling investment in the high intensity range. These models may be relevant to several aspects of social communication, in everyday life and on virtual social networks. |
