Reciprocal altruism may have evolved by accident

The most accepted explanation for the evolution of reciprocal altruism is based on cooperative reciprocators engaged in intertemporal choice. Here, we parsimoniously dismiss this narrative and suggest a new hypothesis based on random encounters of selfish individuals that result in theft. Theft can coexist with passive reactions on the victims, as it does not jeopardize survival and reproduction in times of abundance. As a result, offspring with psychological adaptations of not reacting to theft can become reliable reciprocators amid scarcity.

The Mitigators of Ad Irritation and Avoidance of YouTube Skippable In-Stream Ads: An Empirical Study in Taiwan

On YouTube, skippable in-stream advertisements (ads) are critical income for both YouTube and content creators. However, ads inevitably irritate viewers, and as a result, they tend to avoid ads. Thus, this study attempts to identify potential mitigators—source attractiveness and reciprocal altruism—of ad irritation and avoidance in the context of YouTube skippable in-stream ads. Using an online survey (n = 512) in Taiwan, the proposed model is examined by a partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis. The findings show that while ad irritation has a positive effect on ad avoidance, reciprocal altruism can significantly reduce both ad irritation and avoidance. However, source attractiveness fails to mitigate ad irritation and avoidance. Theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed, and several solutions for reducing ad irritation and avoidance are provided.

Education as Niche Construction: Toward an Evolutionary Science of Education

In humans, education is characterized by active teaching in a wide range of knowledge domains. The subjects taught include how to think and behave, norms and morals, and knowledge and skills, all of which directly increase the fitness of the pupils. Although many comparative and developmental studies have examined active teaching in humans, few have considered its ultimate factors, especially its adaptive significance. The evolution of education can be considered in the context of the evolution of altruistic behavior because tutors transmit adaptive information to pupils at a cost. The evolution of altruism can be explained by the positive assortment of genes related to altruism. However, a genetic basis for reciprocity is not a necessary condition for the evolution of reciprocal altruism. Reciprocal altruism is possible without positive assortment if mutually beneficial social relationships can be created culturally through education. Active teaching of reciprocal norms could be interpreted as niche construction for a social environment. The adaptive perspective presented here could lead to an evolutionary science of education in the future.

Legitimacy and Reciprocal Altruism in Donation-Based Crowdfunding: Evidence from India

The donation-based crowdfunding platforms witness a mix of different entities seeking funding for numerous campaigns, adding complexities in understanding the donor behavior and factors that motivate donation. This study builds upon the economic theory of charitable giving and examines the ethical dilemma that donors face during the selection process. Using the data from Ketto.org, the biggest crowdfunding platform in India, this paper investigates the rank-order preference of donors while making a selection across heterogeneous entities and campaigns. The results show that campaigns run by non-profit organizations registered with causes that qualify for a tax-deduction receive a higher level of funding. Donors then fund unregistered non-profit organizations, followed by campaigns run by individuals. Demonstrating legitimacy by using subtle cues, like tagging “with tax-benefit,” motivates the donors to provide a higher amount of funding.

Belief in an Afterlife Influences Altruistic Helping Intentions in Alignment With Adaptive Tendencies

Evolutionary definitions of altruism are only concerned with reproductive consequences and not motives or other psychological mechanisms, making them ideal for generalization to all forms of organisms. Hamilton’s inclusive fitness theory explains altruistic behavior toward genetic relatives and has generated extensive empirical support. Trivers’ theory of reciprocal altruism helps explain patterns of helping among non-kin, and other research has demonstrated that human helping intentions follow fitness consequences from age-based reproductive value on altruism. The current study examines a novel psychological factor, belief in the afterlife, which may influence altruistic helping intentions. Belief in the afterlife was incorporated into a previous study design assessing the effects of a target’s genetic relatedness and age-based reproductive value. The influences of inclusive fitness and target age were reproduced in a non-Western sample of participants ( N = 300) in Iran. Belief in the afterlife predicted the overall confidence of risking one’s life to save another across all targets, and also moderated the effects of genetic relatedness and target age. Rather than promoting altruism equitably or advantaging those favored by adaptive tendencies, higher belief in an afterlife aligned with these tendencies in promoting further favoritism toward close kin and younger targets with higher reproductive value.

Linguocultural markers of text

The aim of the research is to provide a comprehensive linguocultural characteristic of a folk tale. The research is based on the material of the Irish Fairy and Folk Tales tale anthology, compiled and edited by W. B. Yeats. The research results allow for a suggestion that linguocultural markers are to be found on both ideologic-compositional and speech levels of a text. Thus, the motives of Christian morality form the basis for reciprocal altruism which is the conceptual entity of Irish folk tales. The tale structure is often linear and consists of a short introduction, the main part and the climax turning into a short sharp denouement. Irish folk tales are often a metaphor for the rite of passage. The didactic function of tales consists in demonstrating the possibilities of sin purge through their recognition and repentance. Tales also set social rules and norms. Culture-specific language units encountered in the texts of Irish folk tales belong to different levels of the English language system. The phonetic level reveals such features as metathesis, final consonant reduction, imitation of aspiration, alliteration, wordplay based on homophony, etc. They imitate a peculiar Irish accent and exert some vernacular effect. The lexical level is represented by culture-bound vocabulary including ethnographical terms, anthroponyms and geographical names, both real and invented, various kinds of borrowings from Irish Gaeilge,quotations etc. Some cultural features are exhibited in grammar and text rhythm, chiefly through the use of specific verb forms of Irish English as well as certain correlations of repetition-based rhythmic devices – polysyndeton, diacope, anaphora, epizeuxis, symploce etc. The study of linguocultural text markers gives a comprehensive idea of intra- and extralinguistic characteristics of the tale.

On the Possible Beneficial Role for the Regular Use of Potent Mouthwash Solutions as a Preventive Measure for Covid19 Transmission; Invoking the Evolutionary Biology and Game Theory

In vitro studies demonstrated bactericidal and virucidal role for some of the over-the-counter mouthwash solutions. Meanwhile, Game theory and evolutionary biology suggests that inhibiting cooperation -reciprocal altruism- between two organisms can negatively affect their survival, based on a set of relevant publications, it is proposed here that "SARS-COV-2" may be relying on an "accomplice"; be it a certain organism (e.g. bacterial species), or a state of dysbiosis in general. On this premise, the regular use of potent disinfectant, through the repeated reduction in microbial load, may be able to induce a strain sufficient to inhibit reciprocal altruism, and hence halt the progression of the disease, as observed in the majority of those tested positive worldwide, yet with mild or no symptoms. We cite a group of observations related to COVID, that can be justified by the complicit hypothesis, predict a rather preventive than therapeutic advantage, suggestive for a possible role for the regular use of potent mouthwash as an additional control measure in the community level.