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.