title: The evolution of fairness through spite.
abstract: The presence of apparently irrational fair play in the ultimatum game remains a focal point for studies in the evolution of social behaviour. We investigate the role of negative assortment in the evolution of fair play in the ultimatum game. Spite-social behaviour that inflicts harm with no direct benefit to the actor-can evolve when it is disproportionally directed at individuals playing different strategies. The introduction of negative assortment alters the dynamics in a way that increases the chance fairness evolves, but at a cost: spite also evolves. Fairness is usually linked to cooperation and prosocial behaviour, but this study shows that it may have evolutionary links to harmful antisocial behaviour.
authors: Department of Philosophy, Tufts University, , Medford, MA 02155, USA, Department of Philosophy and Religion, Northeastern University, , Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Forber
authors: Rory
authors: R
authors: Smead
mesh_terms: D000533:Altruism; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005716:Game Theory; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012919:Social Behavior
keywords: assortment; evolution; fairness; spite; ultimatum game