The tight-knit community of sumo wrestling influences the behavior of wrestlers in several ways. The community's structure and the high stakes involved in winning or losing can lead to strong moral and social incentives for higher-ranked wrestlers to assist those at risk of falling back in the rankings. This could involve higher-ranked wrestlers being bribed to throw a fight in favor of a competitor who would otherwise not advance. The community's focus on rankings, which determine every aspect of a wrestler's life, also plays a significant role in shaping behavior.
Author Steven Levitt, working with journalist Stephen Dubner, shows how economic theories can be use...
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