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Related Concept Videos

Evolutionary Psychology01:20

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the human psyche...
Group Polarization01:01

Group Polarization

Group polarization is the strengthening of an original group attitude following the discussion of views within a group (Teger & Pruitt, 1967). That is, if a group initially favors a viewpoint, after discussion the group consensus is likely a stronger endorsement of the viewpoint. Conversely, if the group was initially opposed to a viewpoint, group discussion would likely lead to stronger opposition.
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Convergent Evolution01:54

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior
06:48

The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior

Published on: January 19, 2019

Evolution of cooperation driven by zealots.

Naoki Masuda1

  • 1Department of Mathematical Informatics, The University of Tokyo , 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan. masuda@mist.i.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Scientific Reports
|September 12, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Cooperation can spread in social dilemma games, even with weak selection pressure. A small group of zealous cooperators can drive widespread cooperation throughout the population.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary game theory
  • Behavioral economics
  • Social dynamics

Background:

  • Experimental results indicate cooperation is contagious in social dilemma games.
  • Mimicry, a form of selection pressure, appears to be weak in these dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose an evolutionary dynamics model linking experimental findings on cooperation.
  • To explain the emergence of widespread cooperation in social dilemmas.

Main Methods:

  • Development of an evolutionary dynamics model.
  • Inclusion of a small fraction of imperfect zealous cooperators.
  • Analysis of population dynamics under varying selection pressures.

Main Results:

  • A large fraction of cooperation emerges even when defection is more lucrative.

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  • Individuals tend to mimic cooperation unless selection pressure is very strong.
  • Zealous cooperators can shift the population towards full cooperation.

    • Conclusions:

    • A small group of dedicated cooperators can significantly influence population-level cooperation.
    • The model supports the idea of cooperation as a contagious phenomenon in social dilemmas.
    • Understanding these dynamics is key to fostering cooperation in various social contexts.