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Punishment can promote defection in group-structured populations.

Simon T Powers1, Daniel J Taylor, Joanna J Bryson

  • 1Department of Computer Science, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK. Simon.Powers@Unil.ch

Journal of Theoretical Biology
|July 24, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Anti-social punishment, where defectors punish cooperators, can hinder the evolution of cooperation. This study shows anti-social punishment can prevent pro-social punishment even in structured groups, challenging previous models.

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