Reciprocal Altruism
Reciprocal altruism is the idea that the incentive for an individual to help in the present is based on the expectation of the potential receipt in the future. R. Trivers believes it to be advantageous for an organism to pay a cost to his or her own life for another non-related organism if the favor is repaid (only when the benefit of the sacrifice outweighs the cost).
As Peter Singer notes, “reciprocity is found amongst all social mammals with long memories who live in stable communities and recognize each other as individuals.” Individuals should identify cheaters (those who do not reciprocate help) who lose the benefit of help from them in the future, as seen in blood-sharing in vampire bats.
Trade in economic trades and business may underlie reciprocal altruism in which products given and received involve different exchanges. Economic trades follow the “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” principle. A pattern of frequent giving and receiving of help among workers boost both productivity and social standing.
Read more about this topic: Helping Behavior, Perspectives On Helping Behavior
Famous quotes containing the word reciprocal:
“Parenting is a profoundly reciprocal process: we, the shapers of our children’s lives, are also being shaped. As we struggle to be parents, we are forced to encounter ourselves; and if we are willing to look at what is happening between us and our children, we may learn how we came to be who we are.”
—Augustus Y. Napier (20th century)