Altruistic punishment as an explanation of hunter-gatherer cooperation: how much has experimental economics achieved?

Sugden, Robert ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3401-3139 (2012) Altruistic punishment as an explanation of hunter-gatherer cooperation: how much has experimental economics achieved? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 35 (01). p. 40. ISSN 0140-525X

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Abstract

The discovery of the altruistic punishment mechanism as a replicable experimental result is a genuine achievement of behavioural economics. The hypothesis that cooperation in hunter-gatherer societies is sustained by altruistic punishment is a scientifically legitimate conjecture, but it must be tested against real-world observations. Guala's doubts about the evidential support for this hypothesis are well founded.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Economics
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Economic Theory Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Centre for Behavioural and Experimental Social Sciences Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Centre for Competition Policy Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Behavioural Economics
Depositing User:	Katherine Humphries
Date Deposited:	09 Feb 2012 16:52
Last Modified:	18 Jun 2026 14:46
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/37015
DOI:	10.1017/S0140525X11000902

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