When the Strong Punish: Why Net Costs of Punishment Are Often Neligible

DOI

10.1017/S0140525X11001427

Abstract

In small-scale societies, punishment of adults is infrequent and employed when the anticipated cost-to-benefit ratio is low, such as when punishment is collectively justified and administered. In addition, benefits may exceed costs when punishers have relatively greater physical and social capital and gain more from cooperation. We provide examples from the Tsimane horticulturalists of Bolivia to support our claims.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2012

Comments

Refer to Dr. Christopher von Rueden's website for further information.

Publisher Statement

Copyright © 2012 Cambridge University Press. This article first appeared in Behavioral and Brain Sciences 35, no. 1 (2012): 43-44.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS