In evolutionary biology, reciprocal altruism is a behaviour whereby an organism acts in a manner that temporarily reduces its fitness while increasing another organism's fitness, with the expectation that the other organism will act in a similar manner at a later time. The concept was initially developed by Robert Trivers to explain the evolution of cooperation as instances of mutually altruistic acts. The concept is close to the strategy of "tit for tat" used in game theory.
Read more about Reciprocal Altruism: Theory, Examples, Known Emotional Dispositions As A Complex Regulating System For Reciprocal Altruism
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)