scholarly journals The origins of human prosociality: Cultural group selection in the workplace and the laboratory

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (9) ◽  
pp. eaat2201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Francois ◽  
Thomas Fujiwara ◽  
Tanguy van Ypersele
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiment ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Cultural Group ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Animal Kingdom ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
Cultural Group Selection ◽  
Experimental Subjects ◽  
Selection Of

Human prosociality toward nonkin is ubiquitous and almost unique in the animal kingdom. It remains poorly understood, although a proliferation of theories has arisen to explain it. We present evidence from survey data and laboratory treatment of experimental subjects that is consistent with a set of theories based on group-level selection of cultural norms favoring prosociality. In particular, increases in competition increase trust levels of individuals who (i) work in firms facing more competition, (ii) live in states where competition increases, (iii) move to more competitive industries, and (iv) are placed into groups facing higher competition in a laboratory experiment. The findings provide support for cultural group selection as a contributor to human prosociality.

The disunity of cultural group selection

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Morin
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Change ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Cultural Group ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Selection Pressures ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Cultural Group Selection ◽  
Cultural Diffusion ◽  
Key Features

AbstractI argue that demographic selection, migration, and cultural diffusion, three mechanisms of institutional change, have little in common. Two of these lack the key features associated with group selection: they do not present us with group-level selection pressures counteracting individual-level ones, need not produce behavioral altruism, and do not require competition between groups whose members cooperate preferentially with one another. Cultural norms vary, change, and influence cooperation; but that is not group selection.

Cultural differentiation does not entail group-level structure: The case for geographically explicit analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Malcolm Ross ◽  
Quentin Douglas Atkinson
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
Group Structure ◽  
Level Structure ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Cultural Group ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Cultural Group Selection ◽  
Cultural Differentiation ◽  
Explicit Analysis

AbstractRicherson et al. argue that relatively large culturalFSTvalues provide evidence for group structure and therefore scope for group selection. However, recent research on spatial patterns of cultural variation demonstrates that, as in the genetic case, apparent group structure can be a consequence of geographic clines, not group barriers. Such a pattern limits the scope for cultural group selection.

Frozen cultural plasticity

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petr Houdek ◽  
Julie Novakova
Keyword(s):  
Group Selection ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Plasticity Theory ◽  
Cultural Group ◽  
Cultural Adaptations ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
Cultural Group Selection ◽  
Gene Environment

AbstractWe discuss cultural group selection under the view of the frozen plasticity theory and the different explanatory power and predictions of this framework. We present evidence that cultural adaptations and their influence on the degree of cooperation may be more complex than presented by Richerson et al., and conclude with the gene-environment-culture relationship and its impacts on cultural group selection.

Cultural group selection in the light of the selection of extended behavioral patterns

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carsta Simon
Keyword(s):  
Group Selection ◽  
Behavioral Pattern ◽  
Cultural Group ◽  
Behavioral Patterns ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Cultural Group Selection ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Long Term Consequences ◽  
Selection Of

AbstractThe cultural group selection hypothesis is supported by considerations of short-term and long-term behavioral patterns of group members, and the short-term and long-term consequences of that behavior. The key to understanding cooperation lies in understanding that the effect of an extended behavioral pattern does not equal – and might even be opposite to – the added effects of its parts.

scholarly journals Social learning in cooperative dilemmas

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1787) ◽  
pp. 20140417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shakti Lamba
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Cultural Transmission ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Cultural Group ◽  
Cultural Group Selection ◽  
Cooperative Strategies ◽  
Public Goods Games ◽  
Large Populations

Helping is a cornerstone of social organization and commonplace in human societies. A major challenge for the evolutionary sciences is to explain how cooperation is maintained in large populations with high levels of migration, conditions under which cooperators can be exploited by selfish individuals. Cultural group selection models posit that such large-scale cooperation evolves via selection acting on populations among which behavioural variation is maintained by the cultural transmission of cooperative norms. These models assume that individuals acquire cooperative strategies via social learning. This assumption remains empirically untested. Here, I test this by investigating whether individuals employ conformist or payoff-biased learning in public goods games conducted in 14 villages of a forager–horticulturist society, the Pahari Korwa of India. Individuals did not show a clear tendency to conform or to be payoff-biased and are highly variable in their use of social learning. This variation is partly explained by both individual and village characteristics. The tendency to conform decreases and to be payoff-biased increases as the value of the modal contribution increases. These findings suggest that the use of social learning in cooperative dilemmas is contingent on individuals' circumstances and environments, and question the existence of stably transmitted cultural norms of cooperation.

Selection of human prosocial behavior through partner choice by powerful individuals and institutions

2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-38
Author(s):  
Ronald Noë
Keyword(s):  
Prosocial Behavior ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
Alternative Explanation ◽  
Partner Choice ◽  
Cultural Group ◽  
Human Form ◽  
Cultural Group Selection ◽  
Evolution Of Behavior ◽  
Mutualistic Interactions ◽  
Selection Of

Cultural group selection seems the only compelling explanation for the evolution of the uniquely human form of cooperation by large teams of unrelated individuals. Inspired by descriptions of sanctioning in mutualistic interactions between members of different species, I propose partner choice by powerful individuals or institutions as an alternative explanation for the evolution of behavior typical for “team players.”

When is the spread of a cultural trait due to cultural group selection? The case of religious syncretism

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Santana ◽  
Raj Patel ◽  
Shereen Chang ◽  
Michael Weisberg
Keyword(s):  
Group Selection ◽  
Cultural Group ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Cultural Group Selection ◽  
Cultural Trait ◽  
Cultural Systems ◽  
Cultural Traits ◽  
Religious Syncretism

AbstractThe reproduction of cultural systems in cases where cultural group selection may occur is typically incomplete, with only certain cultural traits being adopted by less successful cultural groups. Why a particular trait and not another is transmitted might not be explained by cultural group selection. We explore this issue through the case of religious syncretism.

Mother–infant cultural group selection

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
James S. Chisholm ◽  
David A. Coall ◽  
Leslie Atkinson
Keyword(s):  
Group Selection ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Cultural Group ◽  
Cultural Group Selection

AbstractRicherson et al. argue that “cultural group selection plays an essential role in explaining human cooperation.” We believe that cooperation came first, making culture and thus cultural group selection possible. Cooperation and culture began – and begins – in mother–infant interaction.

Can Group-Functional Behaviors Evolve by Cultural Group Selection?: An Empirical Test

1995 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Soltis ◽  
Robert Boyd ◽  
Peter J. Richerson
Keyword(s):  
Group Selection ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Cultural Group ◽  
Cultural Group Selection
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