O'Gorman, Rick and Henrich, Joseph and Van Vugt, Mark (2009) Constraining free riding in public goods games: designated solitary punishers can sustain human cooperation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 276 (1655). pp. 323-329. DOI https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.1082
O'Gorman, Rick and Henrich, Joseph and Van Vugt, Mark (2009) Constraining free riding in public goods games: designated solitary punishers can sustain human cooperation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 276 (1655). pp. 323-329. DOI https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.1082
O'Gorman, Rick and Henrich, Joseph and Van Vugt, Mark (2009) Constraining free riding in public goods games: designated solitary punishers can sustain human cooperation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 276 (1655). pp. 323-329. DOI https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.1082
Abstract
Much of human cooperation remains an evolutionary riddle. Unlike other animals, people frequently cooperate with non-relatives in large groups. Evolutionary models of large-scale cooperation require not just incentives for cooperation, but also a credible disincentive for free riding. Various theoretical solutions have been proposed and experimentally explored, including reputation monitoring and diffuse punishment. Here, we empirically examine an alternative theoretical proposal: responsibility for punishment can be borne by one specific individual. This experiment shows that allowing a single individual to punish increases cooperation to the same level as allowing each group member to punish and results in greater group profits. These results suggest a potential key function of leadership in human groups and provides further evidence supporting that humans will readily and knowingly behave altruistically.
Item Type: | Article |
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Uncontrolled Keywords: | cooperation; free riding; punishment; altruism; leadership |
Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology |
Divisions: | Faculty of Science and Health Faculty of Science and Health > Psychology, Department of |
SWORD Depositor: | Unnamed user with email elements@essex.ac.uk |
Depositing User: | Unnamed user with email elements@essex.ac.uk |
Date Deposited: | 13 Nov 2011 15:57 |
Last Modified: | 07 Aug 2024 18:58 |
URI: | http://repository.essex.ac.uk/id/eprint/1456 |
Available files
Filename: Leadership PROC draft6 with pics.pdf