Collective action and the evolution of social norm internalization

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary psychology
• Behavioral economics
• Sociology

Background:

• Human behavior is shaped by cultural norms and values.
• Internalized norms become ends in themselves, not just tools for social gain.
• The capacity to internalize norms likely evolved to address social challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically investigate the evolutionary origins of norm internalization.
• To model how norm internalization impacts cooperation and social behavior.

Main Methods:

• Agent-based simulations were used to model norm internalization.
• Agent utility functions evolved to incorporate normative values.
• Models explored participation in collective actions and peer punishment.

Main Results:

• Norm internalization evolves under various conditions, fostering instinctive cooperation.
• Peer punishment significantly facilitates norm internalization's evolution and impact.
• Promoting only collective action participation is ineffective for norm evolution.
• Intermediate levels of norm internalization are most common, with extremes of oversocialized and undersocialized individuals.

Conclusions:

• Norm internalization is a key evolutionary step for large-scale human cooperation.
• Peer punishment is critical for the evolution of internalized norms.
• The capacity for norm internalization explains cooperative instincts in human behavior.