Research
Unwavering cooperators make group efforts easier to start but harder to sustain
PsyPost · By Eric W. Dolan ·
The Brief
- A new mathematical modeling study finds that a small group of unconditionally cooperative individuals can make it easier for a group to start a shared effort.
- The same study suggests their reliability may encourage others to slack off over the long run, making the effort harder to sustain.
- The source is a short PsyPost summary; details of the model's assumptions and sample size are not available in the provided text.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that consistent contributors can help launch collective efforts but may unintentionally reduce cooperation over time, which is relevant to how researchers think about group dynamics and public goods.
Who’s affected
- researchers studying cooperation and collective action
- psychologists and social scientists interested in group behaviour
- #cooperation
- #collective action
- #game theory
- #group dynamics
- #modeling
A small band of unconditionally cooperative individuals can make it much easier for a group to get a shared effort off the ground, yet their reliability may also encourage others to slack off over the long run. According to a new mathematical modeling study published in…
Timeline
PsyPost reports on a new mathematical modeling study about unwavering cooperators in group efforts
PsyPost – Psychology News
Unwavering cooperators make group efforts easier to start but harder to sustain