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Related Experiment Videos

Self-deception in an evolutionary game.

C C Byrne1, J A Kurland

  • 1Department of Mathematics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. cbyrne@psu.edu

Journal of Theoretical Biology
|October 13, 2001
PubMed
Summary
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Self-deception, modeled using cognitive modules in an evolutionary game, can enhance fitness by improving deception strategies. This study supports the idea that self-deceiving individuals may outperform others in competitive scenarios.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Science
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Game Theory

Background:

  • Philosophically, self-deception appears irrational, but cognitive modularity allows for its possibility.
  • The evolutionary benefits of self-deception for interpersonal deception (Trivers) are debated against its costs (Ramachandran).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To formalize a cognitive model of self-deception using Minsky's modularity framework.
  • To integrate this model into an evolutionary hawk-dove game to test competing conjectures on self-deception's fitness value.

Main Methods:

  • Modified Minsky's cognitive modularity model to define self-deception.
  • Employed Byrne's meta-model to integrate the cognitive model into a hawk-dove game.
  • Modeled 'hunger' and 'fear' daemons assessing costs/benefits, leading to potential inter-daemonic conflict (ambivalence).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Varied player-type conflict resolution mechanisms to represent different forms of self-deception.
  • Simulated player signaling and belief updating before commitment to hawk/dove strategies.

    • Main Results:

    • Self-deceiving player types demonstrated superior performance compared to non-self-deceiving types, supporting Trivers' conjecture.
    • Analyzed the sensitivity of results to cognitive resolution parameters and the influence of signals on co-player beliefs.

    Conclusions:

    • The study provides a computational framework for understanding self-deception within an evolutionary context.
    • Findings suggest that specific mechanisms of self-deception can indeed confer a fitness advantage in competitive interactions.