Karen S. Cook

As a sociologist I developed one of the first computerized laboratories for the study of computer-mediated interaction in a social science department in the early 1970s. I study social exchange networks, power and influence dynamics, inter-group relations, negotiation strategies and fairness, social justice, and trust in social relations. Most recently, I have investigated the role of trust in physician-patient interactions and its effect on health outcomes, in addition to analyzing the role of social capital in explaining health-related behaviors and outcomes. My most recent book on trust is the co-authored book: Cooperation without Trust? (2005), published by the Russell Sage Foundation. I am also the co-editor of the Russell Sage Foundation series on trust. Included in this series are two books I have edited or co-edited: Trust in Society (2001) and Trust and Distrust in Organizations: Emerging Perspectives (2004).