Abstract:
How selfish does our evolutionary history suggest that humans will
be? We explore models in which groups are formed and dissolved
and where reproduction of individuals is determined by their payoffs in
a game played within groups. If groups are formed ``randomly'' and
reproductive success of group founders is determined by a multi-person
prisoners' dilemma game, then selfish behavior will prevail
over maximization of group payoffs. However, interesting models exist
in which ``group selection'' sustains cooperative behavior. Forces that
support cooperative behavior include assortative matching in groups, group
longevity, and punishment-based group norms.
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