Human Altruism and Cooperation
Download as PPTX, PDF•2 likes•1,195 views
The document discusses human altruism and whether mirror neurons hold the key to explaining it. It outlines theories of altruism like reciprocal altruism and kin selection. Studies show infants and children help others, even strangers, suggesting altruism may be innate rather than purely cultural. Mirror neurons may help explain how empathy and identification with others, even strangers, can drive altruistic acts. The document proposes an unified evolutionary view incorporating selection pressures, empathy, mirror neurons and culture in shaping human altruism and cooperation.
Human Altruism and Cooperation
- 1. Do Mirror Neurons hold the key? A Presentation by Arvind Krishnaa Jagannathan
- 2. Human Altruism “Wesley Autrey, a 50-year old construction worker, leaps in front of a moving subway train in New York city to save a stranger who collapsed onto the tracks.” Why?
- 3. Key Ideas Covered
- 4. Outline of the Paper Defining what is altruism and what is the nature of an altruistic being Review of theories about altruism Reciprocal altruism Mindless altruists Kin selection Bystander effect
- 5. Outline of the Paper Is altruism developed by culture or is it a pre- evolutionary artifact? Is joint-learning and cooperative task completion related to our altruistic streak? Is altruism somehow realized within the evolutionary framework through mirror neurons?
- 6. Outline of the Paper Is human altruism unique? Are we the ones who are “intentionally” altruistic?
- 7. Ambitious Questions! Can altruism be engineered into AI? Should the definition of altruism be broadened; for instance, include “online” altruism support for the Middle-Eastern rebellion through Facebook, Twitter etc., Is altruism a receding trait? Will future generations of humans possess that trait? To what extent does technology play a role in impacting this?
- 8. Mirror Neurons and the Empathy Threshold Identification of Empathy towards Kin via MN kin, motivated by system MNs Empathy Threshold
- 9. Bystander Effect – Interfering Mirror Neurons Person #1 Person #2 Person i Person n
- 10. Altruism as an outcome of Cultural Evolution Culture inculcates altruistic norms which subordinate the individual to group welfare. Children are rewarded for acts of kindness or helpfulness and punished for selfish behavior. Does this reinforcement instill altruistic behavior in children, or does it enhance an already existing character attribute?
- 11. Case Studies by Tomasello et al. Infants between the ages of 12-18 months voluntarily help human “observers” in certain experiments. Infants were able to overcome previously unseen obstacles to assist the “helpless” adults complete their task. This willingness to go “out-of-the-way” to help a stranger evolves into cooperation and joint learning? A similar study with chimpanzees Willing to help in scenarios which are less “cognitively” demanding Willing to help in “difficult” tasks only if they are rewarded
- 12. Case Studies by Tomasello et al. Observed that children who were offered a prize for helping out actually helped out LESS on further trials. The intrinsic satisfaction in accomplishing a cooperative task is diminished by offering a material reward.
- 13. Uniqueness of Human Altruism Evolved as a means to be accepted into/ gain popularity with a society. Assign value to different kinds of helpful deeds: An action which yields a “positive” outcome is valued “less” than an action which eliminates a “negative” outcome. Weighted based on the subject at the receiving end of the helpful act. Mostly reciprocal altruists
- 14. An Unified View Mirror Evolutionary Selection Empathy Neurons Need to be accepted into society Altruism Positive and Negative Reinforcement Social Cultural
- 15. Basis of Human Cooperation Altruistic Desire Cognitive Achieve more; Cooperation work less Offload Information Dissemination