Chapter 12: Cooperation

Altruism

A desire to improve another person’s welfare, potentially at a cost to oneself and without expectation of reward.

Common-pool resource

A shared resource available to all members of a society but vulnerable to overuse and depletion.

Commons dilemma game

A game in which group members must balance personal gain against the collective risk of resource collapse.

Cooperation

Coordination among individuals working toward a shared goal that benefits everyone involved.

Decomposed games

Tasks in which individuals choose how to allocate resources between themselves and another person.

Empathy

The ability to vicariously experience and understand another person’s emotions.

Free rider problem

A situation in which individuals benefit from a shared resource without contributing to its maintenance.

Interindividual–intergroup discontinuity

The tendency for interactions between groups to be less cooperative than interactions between individuals.

Outgroup

A social group with which an individual does not identify.

Prisoner’s dilemma

A situation in which individuals must choose between cooperation (benefiting the group) and defection (maximizing personal gain).

Rational self-interest

The principle that individuals make decisions aimed at maximizing their own benefits.

Social identity

A person’s sense of who they are based on their membership in social groups.

Social value orientation (SVO)

An individual’s preference for how resources should be allocated between oneself and others.

State of vulnerability

A condition in which an individual places themselves at risk of exploitation, often based on trust that others will not take advantage.

Ultimatum game

An economic game in which one person proposes a division of resources and the other can accept or reject the offer.