Monkeys inform group members about threats, following principles of cooperation
Monday, December 2, 2019 - 13:40
in Psychology & Sociology
Cooperation—working together or exchanging services for the benefit of everyone involved—is a vital part of human life and contributes to our success as a species. Often, rather than helping specific others, we work for the good of the community, because this helps our friends and family who are part of the group, or because we share in the benefits with everyone else. However, even though the whole group can benefit when people work together, not everyone may be willing to contribute equally. One way for humans to cooperate is by exchanging information: from gossiping and storytelling to teaching and news reporting, we rely on some individuals possessing knowledge and sharing this knowledge for the greater good.