In this blog post, we will explore human altruism through the repetition-reciprocity hypothesis, based on the question, “Is altruistic behavior really a calculated strategy?”
How can altruism be explained?
The concept of “natural selection” is widely known in this world.
According to biological evolution theory, living things act in a way that is entirely beneficial to themselves in order to achieve the goals of survival and reproduction. If we look at human society within the framework of natural selection, we can conclude that most people will think and act in their own best interests. However, when we look around us, we often observe behaviors that are difficult to explain by natural selection theory. These are “altruistic behaviors.”
Helping someone else and considering others even at the expense of one’s own interests seems to be far from instinctive. Nevertheless, we often encounter such behavior in our daily lives. Sometimes, we even behave in such a way ourselves.
Why and how is such altruistic behavior possible? One hypothesis that explains this phenomenon is the “repetition-reciprocity hypothesis.”
Altruism in repetitive relationships
The repetition-reciprocity hypothesis is a theory that humans behave altruistically toward others based on long-term, repetitive interactions. This is because even if an action seems disadvantageous in the short term, it may benefit the individual in the long term. In other words, individuals accept current sacrifices in anticipation of future rewards.
Take ancient hunter-gatherer societies, for example. At that time, there was a culture in which those who succeeded in hunting shared their prey with the entire tribe. From the perspective of immediate gain, sharing the prey may seem like a loss. However, since hunting was not always successful, sharing now was a more advantageous strategy in order to receive help the next time one failed. In a society where continuous relationships are maintained among members, mutual altruistic behavior is repeated, increasing the chances of survival for the entire tribe.
A theory that is still valid in modern society
This repetition-reciprocity hypothesis is not only applicable to the past. In today’s society, people also engage in altruistic behavior with long-term relationships in mind, thereby building a positive image of themselves and forming better relationships. For example, when meeting someone for the first time, helping them or showing them kindness may be more than just a simple act of kindness. It is also a way of conveying the message, “I am a trustworthy person and can be a beneficial relationship for you in the future.” As a result, the other person is also likely to respond favorably, and the relationship between the two is more likely to develop in a positive direction.
In this way, people engage in altruistic behavior toward each other through repeated social interactions, expecting that it will ultimately benefit them. This process forms the basis of human relationships and serves as an important way to build lasting trust within a community.
However, can this be applied in all cases?
Nevertheless, there is one clear limitation to this theory. If altruistic behavior occurs even in relationships that end after only one or two encounters, the repetition-reciprocity hypothesis loses its explanatory power. This is because the core of this theory is “repetition.” In non-repetitive situations, long-term rewards cannot be expected, and therefore altruistic behavior should be a strategically meaningless choice.
However, the reality is different. People often engage in altruistic behavior even in one-time encounters, such as giving up their seats to elderly people on the subway or helping people they meet by chance while traveling. These behaviors are difficult to explain by the repetition-reciprocity hypothesis. Nevertheless, there is still no theory that can explain human altruism more convincingly than this hypothesis. Therefore, we consider the repetition-reciprocity hypothesis to be the “strongest candidate” for understanding altruism.
Conclusion
Human altruism may be a complex behavior that goes beyond simple instincts or emotions and arises from social relationships and calculations about the future. The repetition-reciprocity hypothesis provides a valid framework that explains some of this complexity. Of course, it cannot explain everything, but the fact that many altruistic behaviors in human society occur through repetition and interaction makes this theory still valid. And perhaps altruistic behavior is an expression of humanity that cannot be understood solely through logic and calculation.
