Origins of Human Cooperation
Michael TomaselloMax Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology
Leipzig, Germany
Vaish et al. (2009) Developmental Psychology.
In Harm condition:- more concerned looks- more helping later
Corr. of concern & helping
CONDITION OUTCOME
HARM: E1 tears updrawing of E2
NO HARM: E1 tears uppaper near E2
Affective perspective-taking at 18-30 months of age:
NO EMOTIONAL DISPLAY!
Chimps no!
Toy Reward
No Reward
all tested w/no reward
TREATMENT [5 helping] TEST [9 trials]
Overjustification Effect at 20-months of age
Warneken & Tomasello (2009).Developmental Psychology
Hepach et al. (2012).Psychological Science
!Help No Help 3rd Help
24-month-olds
!
Genuine Sympathy!
Obligate collaborative foraging: INTERDEPENDENCE
- motivational- cognitive
Tomasello et al. (2013). Current Anthropology.
II. Cooperation as mutualism
Individual Intentionality
- acting intentionally- understanding intentions
& attention of others
Shared Intentionality
- acting collaboratively- creating shared intentions
& attention w/ others
Tomasello et al. (2005). Behavioral & Brain Sciences
Motivational:- to collaborate- to share spoils (equally)- to exclude free riders
% collaborativeoption
0
25,00
50,00
75,00
100,00
chimps kids chimps 2x food
Rekers et al. (2012). Current BiologyBullinger et al. (2011). Animal Behaviour
!
16
Children but not chimpanzees punish an unequal division ofspoils in an ultimatum game.
Chimpanzees: Jensen et al. (2007). Science.Children: Wittig et al. (in press). JECP.
Melis et al. (2011). Animal Behaviour.Melis et al. (2013). J. of Experimental Child Psychology.
Children but not chimpanzeesexclude free riders from spoils.
- close + collab.- close but no collab.- far + collab.- far but no collab.
?
Excluding Free Riders
Normative:- joint commitment- social norms
Shared or “We” Intentionality
Why Don’t Apes Have Social Norms?
•Riedl et al. (2012). PNAS: they don’t care how others treat third-parties
•Engelmann et al. (2012). PLOS One: they don’t know/care how others evaluate them
28
Tomasello (2016). A Natural History of Human Morality. Harvard U. Press.
Cooperation & Morality: Interdependence
Shared Agency => ‘We’
Partner Coordination & Choice => Equality
Normative Self-Regulation => ‘We’ > ‘Me’ Morality
Follow head - evenwhen eyes closed
Follow eyes - evenwhen head stationary
Tomasello et al. (2006). J. of Human Evolution.
Morphology for Cooperation
Conclusion
✦ Human children are adapted for cooperation in ways that other great apes are not.
✦ These adaptations are fundamental to uniquely human processes of cognition, communication, culture, and morality.