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Fear can promote competition, defensive aggression, and dominance complementarity.
1Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USAnhalevy@stanford.edu.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|May 8, 2023
Summary
Fear can negatively impact cooperation by increasing exploitation concerns, defensive aggression, and dominant behaviors. Understanding these effects requires a nuanced view of fear
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Neuroscience
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Fear is a fundamental emotion influencing social interactions.
- Previous research suggests fear can impede cooperative behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the multifaceted ways fear affects adult cooperation.
- To highlight the need for contextualized understanding of the fear-cooperation link.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing psychological and neuroscientific evidence.
- Analysis of behavioral economic models of cooperation under threat.
Main Results:
- Fear can discourage collaboration due to exploitation fears.
- Fear may trigger preemptive aggression, hindering cooperation.
- Power-seeking individuals may act dominantly, not compassionately, when fearful.
Conclusions:
- The relationship between fear and cooperation is complex and context-dependent.
- A nuanced consideration of fear's impact on cooperation is essential for adults.
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