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Ownership psychology and group size
1Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|October 9, 2023
Summary
Human societies can grow indefinitely, unlike non-human primate groups which are limited in size. Ownership psychology may explain this key difference in social structure and group dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Anthropology
- Cognitive Science
- Primatology
Background:
- Human societies exhibit virtually unlimited group sizes, contrasting sharply with the size limitations observed in non-human primate social groups.
- Understanding the evolutionary and cognitive factors driving these differences in social organization is crucial for comprehending primate and human sociality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential role of ownership psychology in explaining the divergence of human and non-human primate group sizes.
- To explore how cognitive mechanisms related to ownership might facilitate larger social structures in humans.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis integrating findings from evolutionary anthropology, cognitive science, and primatology.
- Application of Pascal Boyer's model of ownership psychology to explain social group size limitations.
Main Results:
- Pascal Boyer's model of ownership psychology provides a potential framework for understanding why human group sizes can exceed those of non-human primates.
- Cognitive biases related to ownership may influence social bonding and group cohesion, enabling larger-scale cooperation in humans.
Conclusions:
- Ownership psychology offers a novel perspective on the evolution of human sociality and the constraints on primate group living.
- Further research can explore the empirical validation of ownership psychology's impact on social group size across different species.
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