Notes/Qns For Tutorial 5

-Genes ensure their own selfish survival by influencing organisms to

behave altruistically

-Reciprocal altruism(you scratch my back and I scratch yours)

-Altruistic giving may be an advertisement of dominance or

superiority(Potlach Effect)Eg. Arabian Babblers where they assert
their dominance by feeding subordinates or by acting as a warning
beacon,they show their superiority by showing how they can provide
them with food or they are good enough to act as sentinel by making
themselves vulnerable

-Only a genuinely superior individual can afford to advertise the fact

by means of a costly gift.

-Four good Darwinian reasons for individuals to be altruistic:

1)Special Case of genetic kinship
2)Reciprocation: Repayment of favours and the giving of favours in
anticipation of return
3)Benefit of acquiring a reputation for generosity and kindness
4)A way of buying unfakeably authentic advertising

-Example of bystander effect where the presence of multiple

witnesses can actually inhibit intervention (Kitty Genovese Saga)

-The total impact of TV on crime was an increase of 50 percent in

property crimes and 25 percent in violent crimes. (Largest for
children who had extra TV exposure from birth to age 4)
-An elderly parent in a retirement home is more likely to be visited
by his grown children if they are expecting a sizable inheritance and
there need to be at least two children. what might look like good old
fashioned intrafamilial altruism may be a sort of prepaid inheritance
tax.

-Iran government paying people to give up a kidney, with an

additional sum paid by the recipient

-Story of John List contradicting altruism, Scrutiny has a powerful

effect on human beings.(Examples include the experiment conducted
by a psychology professor named Melissa Bateson using an honesty
box.)

-Lab experiments have the power to turn a person into a stupid

automaton who may exhibit a cheerful willingness to assist the
investigator in every possible way by reporting to him those very
things which he is most eager to find out(Forced Cooperation)

-Most giving is as economist call impure altruism or warm-glow

altruism. You give not only because you want to help but also cos it
makes you look good or feel good.

-House money effect where people are more willing to take chances
if they think they are ahead of the game.

Tutorial 4

1)In lab experiements, lab experiments have the power to turn a

person into a stupid automaton who may exhibit a cheerful
willingness to assist the investigator in every possible way by
reporting to him those very things which he is most eager to find
out,hence for example in an altruism setting,people would behave
altruistically. However in field experiments,people would just behave
how they normally would. Thus,one difference is that a context is
given. Secondly,in lab experiments,participants would be under the
scrutiny of others and feel the pressure of being observed by the
person conducting the experiment and would tend to behave how
the organizer of the experiment would expect them to. Lastly is
selection bias. Trust in field more. Lab experiments are more
controlled while field experiments are more in a natural setting.
Lab experiments people are more likely to get into character.
Selection bias.
Field experiments are hard to replicate to test how true it is due to
the everchanging factors.
Field experiments are still more challenging to conduct as compared
to lab experiments.

2)In Ultimatum, both players have a choice on what they want to do.
The person with the money can choose how much he would like to
keep for himself and how much to give the other party but the other
party also gets to choose whether to accept the offer. However if he
does not accept the offer,both parties would not get anything. But
rationally,even a dollar would be considered a gain and any rational
person would take up the offer regardless of how small it is but some
people are willing to to reject the offer to show their digust at how
low the offer is. In Dictator,the other party has totally no say in the
game,where neither generosity would be rewarded or would
selfishness be punished.
Altrusim is rewarded and selfishness is punished in ultimatum but
not Dictator.
Dictator one party has more control,people still give bcos of scrutiny

3) 1)Special Case of genetic kinship (Passing on the genes)

2)Reciprocation: Repayment of favours and the giving of favours in
anticipation of return
3)Benefit of acquiring a reputation for generosity and kindness
 4)A way of buying unfakeably authentic advertising because of the
cost involved,you are better cos you can take more risk/pain and are
more superior.

4)People would tend to react the way people watching the game
shows would expect them to react. Scrutiny,selection bias and
context. Game shows are on TV so people are acting in a way where
people would want themselves to be viewed. If people are just
playing for peanuts,they would just play nice.

5)No clear cut answer. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.