Prosociality as a foundation for intergroup conflict

Current Opinion in Psychology, vol. 44, pp. 112–116

Abstract

Intergroup conflict can be modeled as a two-level game of strategy in which prosociality can take the form of trust and cooperation within groups or between groups. We review recent work, from our own laboratory and that of others, that shows how biological and sociocultural mechanisms that promote prosocial preferences and beliefs create in-group bounded, parochial cooperation, and, sometimes, parochial competition. We show when and how parochial cooperation and competition intensify rather than mitigate intergroup conflict.

Authors 4

1. Carsten K. W. De Dreu corresponding Aachen Social

   Leiden University · University of Amsterdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Social, Economic and Organizational Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands; Center for Experimental Economics and Political Decision Making, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: c.k.w.de.dreu@fsw.leidenuniv.nl

   Center for Experimental Economics and Political Decision Making, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands

   Social, Economic and Organizational Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands

2. Andrea Fariña Aachen Social

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Social, Economic and Organizational Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands

3. Jörg Gross Aachen Social

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Social, Economic and Organizational Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands

4. Angelo Romano Aachen Social

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Social, Economic and Organizational Psychology, Leiden University, the Netherlands