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Prosocial primates: selfish and unselfish motivations
Frans B M de Waal1, Malini Suchak
1Living Links, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Psychology Department, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. dewaal@emory.edu
Summary
Non-human primates exhibit genuine altruism driven by empathy, not just self-interest. Their prosocial behaviors, like food sharing and consolation, stem from an unselfish impulse, challenging purely evolutionary explanations.
Area of Science:
- Primate behavior
- Evolutionary psychology
- Social cognition
Background:
- Non-human primates display significant prosocial and cooperative behaviors, including mutual support, joint hunting, food sharing, and consolation.
- Distinguishing proximate motivations from ultimate evolutionary reasons is crucial for understanding these behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate between altruistic behaviors with discernible actor benefits and those without.
- To explore the role of empathy as a proximate mechanism for unselfish prosocial tendencies in primates.
- To review evidence for reciprocity, inequity aversion, and defection management in primate cooperation.
Main Methods:
- Review of observational and experimental evidence in non-human primates and other mammals.
- Analysis of evolutionary theories of cooperation, kinship, social closeness, and reciprocation.
- Examination of empathy as a proximate mechanism for prosocial behavior.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests that some primate prosocial behaviors are motivated by genuine altruism, not solely by predictable or immediate self-serving benefits.
- Empathy, characterized by sharing another's emotional state, appears to be a key proximate mechanism driving unselfish prosocial tendencies.
- Reciprocity, inequity aversion, and responses to defection play significant roles in regulating cooperation among non-relatives.
Conclusions:
- Prosocial behaviors in non-human primates can be driven by unselfish, empathetic impulses, extending beyond simple reciprocal altruism.
- Empathy functions as a proximate mechanism, shaped by evolutionary factors like kinship and social bonds, underlying cooperative tendencies.
- Understanding these proximate mechanisms is vital for a comprehensive view of cooperation and sociality in primates.
Related Concept Videos
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00:57Inclusive Fitness
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01:21Secondary Motives: Affiliation Motivation and Aggression Motivation
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01:29Self-Serving Bias
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02:34Empathy
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