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Published on: September 26, 2025
The interplay of cognition and cooperation
Sarah F Brosnan1, Lucie Salwiczek, Redouan Bshary
1Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA. sbrosnan@gsu.edu
Summary
Simple organisms can achieve cooperation without complex brains, challenging the link between cognition and stable mutualisms. This study explores conditions favoring cooperation in species with varying cognitive abilities, from bacteria to humans.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Behavioral ecology
- Cognitive science
Background:
- Cooperation often requires delayed gratification, posing challenges for species with limited learning abilities.
- The evolution of cooperation is frequently linked to cognitive complexity and advanced central nervous systems.
- However, simple strategies like tit-for-tat may enable cooperation even in organisms with minimal brainpower, as suggested by Axelrod and Hamilton (1981).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the conditions enabling stable cooperation in species with varying cognitive abilities, from single-celled organisms to humans.
- To explore the factors that drive the evolution of complex cognition and flexible behaviors, including deception.
- To identify key variables linking cooperation, deception, and cognition across diverse taxa.
Main Methods:
- Literature review spanning multiple species and biological scales, from bacteria to humans.
- Analysis of existing research on interspecific mutualisms and reciprocity.
- Theoretical exploration of conditions favoring cooperation and cognitive evolution.
Main Results:
- Interspecific mutualisms exist in organisms with limited cognitive abilities, such as bacteria, plants, and fungi.
- Many species with complex brains and social environments lack clear evidence of reciprocity.
- The study identifies critical variables that determine whether simple or complex strategies evolve for cooperation and deception.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive complexity is not always a prerequisite for stable cooperation.
- Understanding the conditions that favor simple cooperation versus complex cognition is crucial for explaining the evolution of intelligence.
- This research bridges the gap between simple mutualisms and sophisticated social behaviors, highlighting the diverse evolutionary pathways of cooperation and deception.
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