Research on the foundations of social relations that sustain altruism.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K14365
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 10010:Social psychology-related
• Research Institution: Shukutoku University (2023); Tamagawa University (2020-2022); Hitotsubashi University (2019)
• Principal Investigator: Matsumoto Yoshie 淑徳大学, 人文学部, 助教 (30772735)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 向社会行動 / 利他性 / 協働行為 / 行動の同期 / 協力行動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The puzzle of the evolution of cooperative behaviour in humans has been examined mainly in terms of dilemma situations. However, it has been pointed out that dilemma situations, such as exploiting or being exploited by others, do not account for a large proportion of human life history, and that 'mutualistic collaboration' situations, in which people help each other for mutual benefit, are more common. In the present study, a series of laboratory experiments were conducted to examine whether the behavioural synchronisation factor of taking the same action with others, which is included in mutualistic collaboration, is more important, or whether the collaborative intention factor of aiming for greater mutual benefit is more important. The results suggest that joint intention and symmetry of interests, which are included in mutualistic collaboration, are important factors.

Free Research Field

社会心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ヒトが行う自己犠牲を伴う協力行動の維持は、単に他のメンバーと行動が一致したという事実の蓄積では達成されず、そうした同期を伴う行動が行動の同期を目指す意図のもと行われることや、相互に同様の利益をもたらすことが必要なことが示唆された。このことから、現実場面で集団への協力を引き出すためには、たとえば合唱や行進といった同期を伴う行動それのみでは不十分であり、その背景にある互いの意図やそうした行動から推測される利益の対称性等からの影響が重要である可能性が示された。