| Concept/Content |
social context to cooperative behavior / common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) |
| Information caption |
While helping and punitive behaviors seem universal among humans, they do vary across cultures. Punishment occurs more readily, for example, in societies with stronger norms of cooperation (Heinrich et al 2006; Herrmann, Thoni and Gächter 2008). Social context affects cooperative behavior. Most monkeys do not help others unless there is a personal benefit. One might tend to attribute their behavior to limited cognitive skills (when contrasted with great apes). Yet common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) in experimental situations do retrieve food for others, even with no clear benefit to themselves. Unlike closely related species, however, the marmosets breed cooperatively. Their social system (here, shared with the great apes) seems to provide a context that fosters the helping behavior (Burkart et al 2007). This helps illustrate the general principle that variations in social and cognitive contexts shape helping and cooperative behavior. |
| Inquiry caption |
Given the examples already noted, how might you characterize the role of cognitive and social contexts in shaping cooperative behavior?
Most monkeys do not help others unless there is a personal benefit. That might be due to their limited cognitive ability. However, common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) retrieve food for others in experimental situations, even with no clear benefit to themselves. Unlike closely related species, the marmosets breed cooperatively (Burkart et al 2007), a social system shared with the great apes. [continued...] |
| Photographer |
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| Credit |
Reuters |
| SIZE in pixels [file size] |
610x406 |
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