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More to morality than mutualism: Consistent contributors exist and they can inspire costly generosity in others

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2013

Michael J. Gill ,
Dominic J. Packer  and
Jay Van Bavel
Michael J. Gill
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015. m.gill@lehigh.eduhttp://cas.lehigh.edu/CASWeb/default.aspx?id=1423djp208@lehigh.eduhttp://www.lehigh.edu/~djp208/Home.html
Dominic J. Packer
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015. m.gill@lehigh.eduhttp://cas.lehigh.edu/CASWeb/default.aspx?id=1423djp208@lehigh.eduhttp://www.lehigh.edu/~djp208/Home.html
Jay Van Bavel
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003. jay.vanbavel@nyu.eduhttp://psych.nyu.edu/vanbavel/
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Abstract

Studies of economic decision-making have revealed the existence of consistent contributors, who always make contributions to the collective good. It is difficult to understand such behavior in terms of mutualistic motives. Furthermore, consistent contributors can elicit apparently altruistic behavior from others. Therefore, although mutualistic motives are likely an important contributor to moral action, there is more to morality than mutualism.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 36 , Issue 1 , February 2013 , pp. 90
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013

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References

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