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Group-mindedness as evolved solution to deal with group-living
Carsten K W De Dreu1,2, Esther Herrmann3, Friederike Range4
1Faculty of Behavioural and Social Science, https://ror.org/012p63287University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands c.k.w.de.dreu@rug.nl.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|November 26, 2025
Summary
Group living presents cooperation challenges, potentially solved by evolved group-mindedness, not just larger brains. This suggests social cognition, not executive functions, drives group coordination in many species.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Primatology
- Social cognition
Background:
- Group living presents inherent challenges in cooperation and coordination.
- These challenges are not limited to anthropoid primates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore alternative mechanisms for managing group living challenges.
- To investigate the role of group-mindedness versus executive functions in social coordination.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of social structures across species.
- Theoretical modeling of cooperation and coordination dynamics.
Main Results:
- Cooperation and coordination issues in group living are widespread.
- Evolved group-mindedness may be a key factor in managing these challenges.
- This contrasts with the hypothesis that expanded neocortical size and executive functions are the sole drivers.
Conclusions:
- Group-mindedness offers a potential evolutionary solution to cooperation and coordination problems.
- Social cognition may be more critical than enhanced executive functions for successful group living across diverse taxa.
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