Apparent health encourages reciprocity

作者：Krupp Daniel Brian^*; DeBruine Lisa M; Jones Benedict C

来源：Evolution and Human Behavior, 2011, 32(3): 198-203.

DOI：10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2010.10.001

• Reciprocity
• Social exchange
• Cooperation
• Apparent health
• Attractiveness

Reciprocity evolves only when social partners reliably repay, with interest, the investments of others. However, not all individuals are equally able-or motivated-to recompense others satisfactorily. As such, reciprocity relies greatly on the capacities and motives of partners. Apparent health may provide a cue to the value of potential exchange partners in this regard: healthier individuals will tend to live longer and accrue more, higher quality resources, thus increasing the incentives for mutual cooperation. In a monetary exchange task, we show that the apparent health of partners' faces affects human reciprocity. Specifically, participants were more willing to return a profitable amount to, but not more willing to invest in, apparently healthy than unhealthy partners. This effect appears to be a function of the attractiveness of apparent health, suggesting a preference for repayment of attractive partners. Furthennore, the effect of apparent health on reciprocal exchange is qualified by the sex of the partners, implicating a history of sexual selection in the evolution of human social exchange.

• 出版日期2011-5