Incipient Cognition Promotes Cooperation
Author Information
Author(s): Vukov Jeromos, Santos Francisco C., Pacheco Jorge M.
Primary Institution: Centro de Matemática e Aplicações Fundamentais, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
Hypothesis
Can incipient cognitive abilities lead to the emergence of cooperation in spatial populations?
Conclusion
Cooperation emerges even under high temptation to cheat, thanks to the simplest level of cognitive abilities.
Supporting Evidence
- Cooperation can thrive even when the temptation to cheat is high.
- Individuals with cognitive abilities can retaliate against cheaters effectively.
- Cooperative clusters can form quickly, allowing cooperators to dominate the population.
Takeaway
Even a little bit of thinking can help people work together better, even when some want to cheat.
Methodology
Individuals engage in Prisoner's Dilemma games in a spatial world, equipped with basic cognitive abilities to distinguish past interactions.
Limitations
The model may not fully capture the complexities of real-world interactions and cognition.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website