The evolution of ethnocentrism

Authored by Ross A. Hammond, Robert Axelrod

Date Published: 2006-12

DOI: 10.1177/0022002706293470

Sponsors: Intel Corporation Literature Science and Arts Enrichment Fund of University of Michigan United States National Science Foundation (NSF)

Platforms: Java Ascape NetLogo

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Flow charts

Model Code URLs: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~axe/Shared_Files/Axelrod.Hammond/index.htm

Abstract

Ethnocentrism is a nearly universal syndrome of attitudes and behaviors, typically including in-group favoritism. Empirical evidence suggests that a predisposition to favor in-groups can be easily triggered by even arbitrary group distinctions and that preferential cooperation within groups occurs even when it is individually costly. The authors study the emergence and robustness of ethnocentric behaviors of in-group favoritism, using an agent-based evolutionary model. They show that such behaviors can become widespread under a broad range of conditions and can support very high levels of cooperation, even in one-move prisoner's dilemma games. When cooperation is especially costly to individuals, the authors show how ethnocentrism itself can be necessary to sustain cooperation.

Tags

Agent-based models Ethnocentrism evolutionary models In-group favoritism contingent cooperation