Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Game theory attempts to dissect the rules by which humans interact. In his commentary, Wedekind discusses some new results in a recent paper in Nature that suggest that some acts of altruism may not be so altruistic after all. A donation to a street musician or a beggar may actually be an act of self-interest, if the giving can be observed by others and increases the donor9s social status.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Claus Wedekind (1998) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: