Revenge without redundancy: Functional outcomes do not require discrete adaptations for vengeance or forgiveness

We question whether the postulated revenge and forgiveness systems constitute true adaptations. Revenge and forgiveness are the products of multiple motivational systems and capacities, many of which did not exclusively evolve to support deterrence. Anger is more aptly construed as an adaptation tha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Behavioral and brain sciences 2013-02, Vol.36 (1), p.22-23
Main Authors: Holbrook, Colin, Fessler, Daniel M. T., Gervais, Matthew M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation
Adaptation, Psychological
Aggression - psychology
Anger
Cognition
Cooperation
Costs
Emotional behavior
Forgiveness
Humans
Motivation
Open Peer Commentary
Reputation management
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Summary:We question whether the postulated revenge and forgiveness systems constitute true adaptations. Revenge and forgiveness are the products of multiple motivational systems and capacities, many of which did not exclusively evolve to support deterrence. Anger is more aptly construed as an adaptation that organizes independent mechanisms to deter transgressors than as the mediator of a distinct revenge adaptation.
ISSN:0140-525X
1469-1825
DOI:10.1017/S0140525X12000520