Cooperation through Image Scoring in Humans

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 288; no. 5467; pp. 850 - 852
• Main Authors: Wedekind, Claus, Milinski, Manfred
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 05.05.2000; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Altruism; Altruism (Human behavior); Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Biological invasions; Clouds; Computer Simulation; Cooperative Behavior; Cooperativeness; Donors; Ecological invasion; Evolution; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Games, Experimental; Humans; Hurricanes; Microwaves; Oceans; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Scoring; Skin temperature; Social Behavior; Social groups; Social interactions. Communication. Group processes; Social Perception; Social psychology; Species; Species diversity; Statistical Analysis; Storms; United States; Human; Social interaction; Game theory; Cooperation

The "tragedy of the commons," that is, the selfish exploitation of resources in the public domain, is a reason for many of our everyday social conflicts. However, humans are often more helpful to others than evolutionary theory would predict, unless indirect reciprocity takes place and is...