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Cooperation, social norm internalization, and hierarchical societies.
Pablo Lozano1,2, Sergey Gavrilets3, Angel Sánchez4,5,6,7
1Grupo Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos, Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911, Leganés, Madrid, Spain. pablo.lozano@uc3m.es.
Scientific Reports
|September 22, 2020
Summary
Hierarchical societies can maintain cooperation when rank differences are constrained. This evolutionary model shows that limited hierarchy fosters norm internalization, allowing large groups to cooperate effectively.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Social dynamics
- Agent-based modeling
Background:
- Societies often exhibit hierarchical structures and cooperative behaviors.
- Rigid hierarchies are increasingly linked to reduced cooperation in humans and primates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between social hierarchy and cooperation using an evolutionary agent-based model.
- To explore how dynamic ranking, communal work, and norm internalization influence societal cooperation.
Main Methods:
- Developed an agent-based model simulating social interactions, including fights for dynamic ranking.
- Incorporated communal work for public goods and norm internalization as a goal in itself.
- Modeled agents' perception of future benefits from cooperative behavior.
Main Results:
- Unconstrained ranking led to exploitation by a few, with minimal norm internalization.
- Constrained ranking resulted in more fluid social positions and a class division.
- Constrained hierarchies significantly increased norm internalization, supporting widespread cooperation.
Conclusions:
- Constrained social hierarchies provide a mechanism for maintaining high levels of cooperation.
- Norm internalization plays a crucial role in enabling cooperation within stratified societies.
- The model explains the emergence of hierarchy in egalitarian societies while preserving cooperation.
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