This article draws on the book The Emergence of Altruism to explain altruistic and selfish behavior and to analyze why people choose to act sacrificially through the iteration-reciprocity hypothesis. It also extends the theory by considering other factors of altruistic behavior and the persistence of relationships.
As we go through life, we engage in many different behaviors and see many different behaviors in others. These behaviors can be judged as altruistic or selfish based on their intentions, outcomes, and processes. In the book The Emergence of Altruistic Man, it is said that an altruistic behavior is one that benefits others but is a sacrifice for the actor. It also says that selfish behavior is behavior that is in your own best interest. So why do people engage in these sacrificial behaviors? This book’s iteration-reciprocity theory can help explain why.
First, let’s consider a situation using the deer hunting game from the book. In the deer hunting game, two hunters are chasing a deer or rabbit and have two choices: cooperate or betray. Cooperation comes with the risk of betrayal by the other hunter, but the payoff is greater, while betrayal guarantees a certain amount of profit. There are similar situations in everyday life. You have two assignments, neither of which is completely finished. You have one day left until the due date and you can only do one of them. One is a two-credit individual assignment. The other is a 3-credit group assignment that requires collaboration in groups of five, and everyone else is in the same situation. If everyone participates in the group assignment, you’ll get an A, if four people participate, you’ll get a B, and if fewer people participate, you’ll get a C or lower. However, if you don’t participate in that assignment and do another individual assignment, you can get a B or better on the individual assignment. Otherwise, you’ll get a lower grade. However, your peers will receive a lower grade because of you. In this situation, you don’t know what the other members of the group will do. If you choose the former, you’ll get a low grade on both if you fail, and a good grade if you succeed. If you choose the latter, you’ll be selfish in a way that’s stable but hurts others. The point of this book is that the latter is the right choice in the moment, but the former is more appropriate if you think about the future. Most people will choose the former.
Let’s look at the iteration-reciprocity hypothesis to see why. The repeat-reciprocity hypothesis states that if you do a favor for someone, they will do a favor for you, and conversely, if you betray them, they will betray you back. It’s an “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” situation. In the end, humans act altruistically in these situations because it is in their best interest to act favorably and cooperatively.
The repetition-reciprocity hypothesis suggests that the former increases the probability that a favorable action will come afterwards, while the latter increases the probability that a harmful action will come afterwards, i.e., that the other party will betray you. In the end, the former is the most beneficial action.
There are many other situations where you have to choose between altruistic and selfish behavior. The reciprocity hypothesis can explain why we do things that seem to be detrimental in the moment. Because relationships are often ongoing, I think the reciprocity hypothesis can explain a lot of altruistic behavior. It has some limitations in explaining non-recurring situations, but I think it’s the theory that can explain the most.
However, there are other theories that can explain altruistic behavior besides the reciprocity hypothesis. For example, some altruistic behaviors are aimed at increasing social status. Humans are instinctively inclined to increase their social status, and altruistic behavior can create positive perceptions in the minds of those around them. This perception can ultimately increase the benefits that come back to them, which is a different reason for altruistic behavior than the repetition-reciprocity hypothesis. In addition, psychologically speaking, the act of helping others may itself be psychologically rewarding. The satisfaction of knowing that you’ve helped someone else and the happiness that comes with it can make people act altruistically.
In conclusion, altruism is a complex human behavior that cannot be explained by a single theory. The reciprocity hypothesis is only one valid explanation, and it must take into account the complex social and psychological factors of human behavior. Altruistic behavior is deeply rooted in human nature, and it is through this behavior that we can build a better society.
