The evolution of fairness: explaining variation in bargaining behaviour.

Area of Science:

• Human evolutionary biology
• Cultural anthropology
• Behavioral economics

Background:

• Global conceptions of fairness are diverse, yet the drivers of this variation remain unclear.
• Fairness preferences are often assumed to reflect cultural norms, but this hypothesis lacks empirical testing.
• Understanding fairness evolution requires identifying the selective pressures and mechanisms shaping human cooperation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To empirically test whether fairness norms operate at the ethno-linguistic group level.
• To investigate the scale at which cultural transmission maintains fairness preferences.
• To identify factors influencing variations in human fairness conceptions.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of behavioral data from 21 populations of the Pahari Korwa ethno-linguistic group in central India.
• Examination of cultural conformism and behavioral homogeneity within the group.
• Assessment of expectation coordination in bargaining scenarios.

Main Results:

• Neither behavioral homogeneity within the ethno-linguistic group nor coordinated expectations between bargainers were observed.
• Fairness preferences did not consistently align with broader cultural or ethnic group norms.
• Variation in fairness conceptions was evident even within the same ethno-linguistic group.

Conclusions:

• Fairness norms may not be maintained at the ethno-linguistic group level.
• Individual conceptions of fairness appear to be influenced by factors operating at a smaller scale than the ethno-linguistic group.
• Local environmental factors likely play a significant role in shaping individuals' fairness preferences and resource division expectations.