In this study, we examine the effects of the structure of a network, the dominance identity of the actors, and the actors' ability to reward or punish on the use of punishment and the development of social bonds in a network. As expected, we find that peripheral rather than central actors in a network use punishment more, as do those with a high dominance identity. We also find that persons use punishment to increase or decrease their perceived level of dominance when their dominance identity is not verified. However, the patterns of interaction that develop in the network are an interactive function of network position, actor's dominance identity, and punishment use. We discuss how the social psychological drive to control one's identity interacts with social structural factors in the network to create different cultures of dyadic interaction.
Keywords: Exchange; Identity theory; Interaction culture; Network; Punishment.
Published by Elsevier Inc.