Evolving Beyond Self-Interest? Some Experimental Findings From Simulated International Negotiations

Negotiation is a process of exchange intellectually, socially, and in terms of the items (tangible or not) that provide the focal point for negotiations. In recent years, the English School has discussed international institutions from a normative point of view that emphasizes the development of shared norms and values. Actors are affected by their institutional surroundings and hence learn by doing and come to identify with the norms of the system. Primary institutions have developed over time and the international system is still evolving toward being more intertwined and toward the convergence realm on the spectrum, which ranges from power politics to coexistence to cooperation and then convergence. Thus far, most work in the English School tradition has tended to be normative and historical in approach. This article examines positive empirical evidence to support the theory of institutional development and social interaction. Using data from the GlobalEd project (www.globaled.uconn.edu), this article will examine how shared norms and practices become embedded in the operation of actors participating in international, simulated negotiations. Analysis of messages from these negotiations will show that participants adapt to the rules and the norms of the interaction environment. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the norms of the community become part of actors’ behavior and influence, positively, future interactions. Our conclusions indicate that increased interaction leads to positive spillover effects in terms of cooperation and international agreements.