Origins of Human Cooperation Michael Tomasello Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig, Germany
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.