Cooperative Alliances Flashcards
Definition of Theory of Reciprocal Altruism
Adaptation to provide benefits to non-kin can evolve as long as altruistic investment can be returned or reciprocated at some point in the future
What is Contingent Reciprocity?
Tit-for-Tat; Nature of altruism towards non-kin that natural selection favors
What is Indirect Reciprocity?
Altruists indirectly benefit from acts of altruism to strangers from their good reputations
What does Indirect Reciprocity explain?
- Why do we help strangers without expectations of returns
- More helpful and generous when others are watching
- Helpful people are most likely to receive help from others in the same social group
What is the Social Contract Theory?
Reciprocal altruism can only evolve if cooperators possess evolved psychological mechanisms to detect fellow cooperators to form social contracts and avoid cheaters
5 different cognitive capacities that we evolved to counter cheaters
- The ability to recognize different individual humans
- The ability to remember the histories of interactions with different individuals
- The ability to communicate one’s values
- The ability to model the values of others
- The ability to represent costs and benefits
Cheaters are better remembered when they are…
of lower social status
Cheaters are remembered even if…
- Rare in the population
- No knowledge of cheating actually occurred
What are the 3 research gaps regarding cheaters?
- What exactly are the inputs and outputs of the cheater-detection mechanism?
- What are the contexts and individual/sex differences that alter sensitivity and response?
- Are there sex differences in infidelity or friendship betrayal?
Characteristics of identifying potential altruists
- Those who display genuine smiles (Duchenne smile)
- People also tend to cooperate more with healthy-looking individuals
What are the adaptive responses when facing cheaters?
- Avoid social exchange by outputting disgust
- Demand cheaters to reciprocate (Recalibration via anger)
Why is Recalibration via anger important?
Working with cheaters is inevitable as there are a limited number of social partners
What decides whether an individual can demand value recalibration?
Depends on their ability to…
1. Inflict cost on cheaters
2. Provide greater benefits than initially valued
What is Costly Signalling Theory?
People signal desirable characteristics as a means to advertise qualities
Characteristics of Costly Signals
- They are honest signals as low quality signalers will exhaust whatever resources they have
- High quality signalers can afford the cost of signal as long as the benefits outweigh the cost
- Costly altruism signals a person’s resource holding potential
Friendship adaptations must allow people to evaluate….
- Whether a person will be willing to repay in the future
- Whether the person will be able to repay in the future
- Is he the best object to invest altruism/friendship?
What is the Banker’s Paradox?
- Humans cannot afford to help others who cannot repay the favor
- People who need help are least likely to be able to return the favor
Elements of an Irreplaceable Friend
- Promote a reputation that highlights one’s unique or exceptional attributes
- Be motivated to recognize prized personal attributes
- Cultivate specialized skills
- Seek out groups that value what you can offer
- Avoid groups that does not value what you can offer
- Drive off rival who offer similar benefits to you
What is a Fair-Weather Friend?
Friends who leech investment during good times and fail to reciprocate during bad times
5 different inputs for Evolved Psychological Mechanism for Friendship
- Number of friendship niche already filled
- Positive externalities
- Proclivity for empathy and mind-reading
- Personal irreplaceability
- Common goals
Decision-Rule for the number of friendship niche already filled
IF number of friends is low, THEN make new friends
Decision-Rule for the positive externalities
IF the person provides benefits, THEN befriend the person
Decision-Rule for the proclivity for empathy
IF the person is understanding, THEN befriend the person
Decision-Rule for the personal irreplaceability
IF the person is irreplicable to you, THEN provide expected value to person
Decision-Rule for the common goal
IF the person shares the same goal, THEN cooperate for common outcome
Benefits & costs for All Types of Friendship
Benefit
-> Mutually increased survival and reproductive odds
Cost
-> Social competition
Benefits & costs for Opposite Sex Friendship
Benefit
-> Men may befriend women for potential sexual access
-> Women may befriend men for protection from other men
-> Information-sharing about the opposite sex to facilitate attraction of mates
Cost
-> Sexual conflict
Benefits & costs for Same Sex Friendship
Benefits
-> Common goal
-> Alloparenting
Costs
-> Mate-rivalling and mate poaching
Definition of Coalition
Cooperative alliance of more than two individuals for the purpose of collective action
Definition of Defector
Individuals who renounce allegiance and break off from cooperation for personal benefits
Definition of Free Riders
Individuals who claim shares in the reward of cooperation without contributing a fair share of work
4 types of solutions to the problem of punishing the defectors and free riders
- Punitive sentiments
- Cultural adaptations
- Reputational benefits for cooperators and for punishers
- Ostracisms
Definition of Punitive Sentiments
A desire to harm defectors and free-riders
Definition of Cultural Adaptations
Cultural selection is a group selection process by which adaptive cultural beliefs are transmitted within the group
Definition of Reputational Benefits for Cooperators and Punishers
Altruistic punishments; can evolve if…
1. Others are less likely to cheat with the possibility of punishment
2. Punishers benefit from their reputation for being trustworthy
Definition of Ostracisms
Ejects free riders or those with bad reputations from group participation
