The ultra-social animal

In evolutionary perspective, what is most remarkable about human sociality is its many and diverse forms of cooperation. Here, I provide an overview of some recent research, mostly from our laboratory, comparing human children with their nearest living relatives, the great apes, in various tests of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of social psychology 2014-04, Vol.44 (3), p.187-194
Main Author: Tomasello, Michael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavioral sciences
Biological and medical sciences
Child development
Children
Children & youth
Collaboration
Conformity
Cooperation
Cultural Groups
Developmental psychology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Horizon
Monkeys & apes
Morality
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Social Behavior
Social behaviour
Social interactions. Communication. Group processes
Social psychology
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Summary:In evolutionary perspective, what is most remarkable about human sociality is its many and diverse forms of cooperation. Here, I provide an overview of some recent research, mostly from our laboratory, comparing human children with their nearest living relatives, the great apes, in various tests of collaboration, prosocial behavior, conformity, and group‐mindedness (e.g., following and enforcing social norms). This is done in the context of a hypothetical evolutionary scenario comprising two ordered steps: a first step in which early humans began collaborating with others in unique ways in their everyday foraging and a second step in which modern humans began forming cultural groups. Humans' unique forms of sociality help to explain their unique forms of cognition and morality. © 2014. The Authors. European Journal of Social Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ISSN:0046-2772
1099-0992
DOI:10.1002/ejsp.2015