Nature Communications (Aug 2016)

Social image concerns promote cooperation more than altruistic punishment

  • Gianluca Grimalda,
  • Andreas Pondorfer,
  • David P. Tracer

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12288
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Cooperation requires individuals to sacrifice individual rewards for group benefits. Here, Grimalda, Pondorfer and Tracer show in a foraging society of Papua New Guinea that social image building is a more powerful motivator of social cooperation than altruistic punishment.