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. 2011 Jul 22;278(1715):2159-64.
doi: 10.1098/rspb.2010.2342. Epub 2010 Dec 15.

The 'spiteful' origins of human cooperation

Frank W Marlowe  1 , J Colette Berbesque, Clark Barrett, Alexander Bolyanatz, Michael Gurven, David Tracer
Affiliations

The 'spiteful' origins of human cooperation

Frank W Marlowe et al. Proc Biol Sci. .

Abstract

We analyse generosity, second-party ('spiteful') punishment (2PP), and third-party ('altruistic') punishment (3PP) in a cross-cultural experimental economics project. We show that smaller societies are less generous in the Dictator Game but no less prone to 2PP in the Ultimatum Game. We might assume people everywhere would be more willing to punish someone who hurt them directly (2PP) than someone who hurt an anonymous third person (3PP). While this is true of small societies, people in large societies are actually more likely to engage in 3PP than 2PP. Strong reciprocity, including generous offers and 3PP, exists mostly in large, complex societies that face numerous challenging collective action problems. We argue that 'spiteful' 2PP, motivated by the basic emotion of anger, is more universal than 3PP and sufficient to explain the origins of human cooperation.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Societies ranked by (a) local group population and (b) ethnic population.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
UG MAO (grey bars) and 3PP MAO (black bars) by smallest versus largest societies as measured by (a) local group population (3PPG MAO: U = 4, p = 0.026); (UG MAO: U = 15, p = 0.699) and (b) ethnic population (3PPG MAO: U = 3, p = 0.030); (UG MAO: U = 15, p = 1). Asterisks indicate p < 0.05.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
UG MAO minus 3PPG MAO by ethnic population (U = 2, p = 0.017).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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