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GROUP BEHAVIOUR
GROUP BEHAVIOUR


group behaviour
The Selfish Gene is a book on by Richard
Dawkings, 1976
Animal are kind to kin
 Animals are kind to non-kin
 Warning cries (help others at your own risk)
 Food sharing (the case of vampire bats)

Individuals benefit more by working together
than working alone.
 The benefits outweigh the cost

 Reciprocal
altruism
But there is a problem....
 The existence of cheaters (in economic and
sociology they are called free-riders)

SO HOW CAN ALTRUISM EVOLVE?
Cooperation is unstable
 Advantage to genes that lead animal to reap the
benefits without paying the costs
 Gene A accepts blood from others, share blood
 Gene B accepts blood from others, don’t share
blood
 Gene B will out reproduce Gene A


Warning cries/ buying drinks
CHEATER DETECTION
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
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Reciprocal altruism can only evolve if animals punish
cheaters
This requires a mental apparatus
Recognising cheater
Remembering the cheater
Punish the cheater
A CASE–STUDY ON COOPERATION
THE PRISONER’S DILEMMA
The best case is to defect while the other person
cooperate.
 The worst case is to cooperate while the other
person defects.
 Best for both is if each cooperate
 Worse for both is if each defect

My spouse no
Me
no
Me
yes
We both do ok
My spouse yes
My spouse no
Me
no
We both do ok
Me
yes
I get everything my
husband loses
everything
My spouse yes
My spouse no
My spouse yes
We both do ok
My husband gets
everything
I lose everything
Me
no
Me
yes
I get everything my
husband loses
everything
My spouse no
My spouse yes
We both do ok
My husband gets
everything
I get everything my
husband loses
everything
We both lose
Me
no
Me
yes
Country A cooperate
Cou
ntr
y
Bco
ope
rat
e
Cou
ntr
yB
def
ect
We both do ok
Country A defect
Country A NO
Cou
ntr
y
B
NO
Cou
ntr
yB
yes
We both do ok
B gets everything
A gets nothing
Country A YES
Cou
ntr
y
B
NO
Cou
ntr
yB
yes
Country A NO
Country A YES
We both do ok
B gets everything
A gets nothing
A gets everything
B gets nothing
Cou
ntr
y
B
coo
p
Cou
ntr
yB
def
ect
Country A coop
Country A defect
We both do ok
A gets everything
B gets nothing
B gets everything
Agets nothing
Both do pretty badly
I want to buy Marijuana from you
 I have 1000€
 Let’s meet behind the gym
nobody is going to call the cops so:
I could go there with a gun and get the Marijuana
without paying
He could come with a gun and take my money

PRACTICE!!

3 euros each both coop

5 euros /0 euros
63 computer programmes in the 1980s
 The winner is “Tit-for-Tat” ( by Anatol
Rapparport)



The programme opens by cooperating, then plays what the
other played in the previous game.
Punish for selfish behaviour, reward for cooperative
behaviour.
Be NICE you meet someone
 Not an idiot if you defect I will defect back
 Forgiving –once you are nice it will be nice right
back
 Transparent- easy to figure out how to work
together for mutual gain

THE ULTIMATE GAME
Player A has 10 euros
Player B
Player A can offer from 1 t0 10
B can accept (cooperate) you share the money
B can reject (defect) nobody gets anything.
5 time in a row
PSYCHOLOGISTS BELIEVE
A rational person is easily exploited.
 There is some advantage to being irrational,
people are forced by dint of your irrationality to
treat you better.
 The irrational reaction/violence varies from
culture to culture.



Violence due to disrespect
the “culture of honour”
PROPERTIES OF THE CULTURE OF
HONOUR
One cannot rely on law.
 Resources are easily taken.

Western Cowboys
 Masai Warriers


American South has more of a culture of honour
than the American North.
Corporal punishment is more approved of.
 Attitudes towards the military are more positive.
 More violence (not less safety)

Nisbet &Wilson made a psychological
experiments.
 American Caucasian students.
 A graduate students bump into the person looks
at him and says “Asshole”


Students from the American South showed
higher hormone response and stress response,
testerone level and cortisol level increased.
THE ROBBERS CAVE STUDY
11-12 years old boys at a 3 week camping program
 Well adjusted WASPs
 Separate cabins, leaders

“Eagles” and “Rattlers”
 Distinctive cultures

within group solidarity
 Negative stereotyping
 Hostility raids violence

THE ROBBERS CAVE STUDY
Attempts to reduce hostility between the
groups:
 Peace talks
 Individual competitions
 Shared meals
 Shared movies
 Fun with firecrackers
 Sermons on brotherly love

THE ROBBERS CAVE STUDY
What could bring them
together?
A SUPERORDINATE GOAL
(a common ememy)