Selfish punishment: altruism can be maintained by competition among cheaters.
Altruistic punishment refers to a class of behaviors that deters cheating at a cost to the punisher, making it a form of second-order altruism. Usually, it is assumed that the punishers are themselves "solid citizens" who refrain from cheating. We show in a simulation model that altruism and punishment paradoxically become negatively correlated, leading to a form of selfish punishment. Examples of selfish punishment can be found in organisms as diverse as wasps, birds, and humans.
Eldakar
Omar Tonsi
OT
Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA. oeldakar@gmail.com
Farrell
Dene Leo
DL
Wilson
David Sloan
DS
D000533:Altruism; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009154:Mutation; D011156:Population Density; D011678:Punishment