PSYCH 1XX3 Lecture Notes - Twin, Prosocial Behavior, Stockholm School Of Economics In Riga
Document Summary
Four kinds of social behaviors that individuals engage in: Cooperation: if action helps both actor and recipient. Selfishness: if action helps actor and hurts recipient. Altruism: if action hurts actor and helps recipient. Spite: if action hurts both actor and recipient. For example, the cost of teaching a new player how to play a game may be less than the benefit of being on a better team and winning games -> the unselfish behavior is more rewarding. Therefore, increasing the fitness of others can sometimes improve your own fitness prospects. Adaptations aren"t for the good of the group or the species; they are for the good of the gene. Group success simply translates to better success for the gene. When foraging in groups, the tradeoff is reduced: while most forage, a few scan for predators, and after a quick scan, they can forage while others raise their heads and look around. Head jerks by individuals vs. by the entire flock.
