Evolutionary Origins of the Endowment Effect: Evidence from Hunter-Gatherers

Apicella, Coren L.; Azevedo, Eduardo M.; Christakis, Nicholas A.; Fowler, James H.

doi:10.1257/aer.104.6.1793

Cited by 108 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Still, Hadza men are, on average, more competitive and more risk-taking than women, as evinced from performance in incentivized economic games (Apicella & Dreber, 2015;Apicella, Crittenden, & Tobolsky, 2017). Other sex differences in economic (e.g., preference for owned items) and social preferences (e.g., cooperation) have not been found (Apicella, 2017;Apicella, Azevedo, Christakis, & Fowler, 2014;Apicella, Marlowe, Fowler, & Christakis, 2012).…”

Section: Study Populationmentioning

confidence: 92%

Hadza Men With Lower Voice Pitch Have a Better Hunting Reputation

et al. 2017

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Previous research with hunter-gatherers has found that women perceive men with voices manipulated to be lower in pitch to be better hunters, and men perceive women with lower pitch to be better gatherers. Here, we test if actual voice pitch is associated with hunting and gathering reputations in men and women, respectively. We find that voice pitch does relate to foraging reputation in men, but not in women, with better hunters having a lower voice pitch. In addition, we find that the previously documented relationship between voice pitch and reproductive success no longer holds when controlling for hunting reputation, but hunting reputation remains a significant predictor of reproductive success when controlling for voice pitch. This raises the possibility that voice pitch is being selected for in hunter-gatherers because of the relationship between voice pitch and hunting reputation.

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Section: Study Populationmentioning

confidence: 92%

Hadza Men With Lower Voice Pitch Have a Better Hunting Reputation

et al. 2017

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“…Examples of cultural impact on possession are cross‐cultural differences in the development of the “first possession heuristic”. For example, there is no evidence of any development of the endowment effect over individually owned objects in the case of the Hadza (see glossary) . We suggest that property behavior may exist in societies like the Hadza, but that cultural factors have transferred individual behavior to the group level, over group‐owned property.…”

Section: Developmental Psychologymentioning

confidence: 74%

Rethinking the evolution of property and possession: A review and methodological proposition

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Carvalho

2018

Evolutionary Anthropology

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Property is a key feature of modern human society; however, identifying the origin of this multifaceted behavior poses a formidable challenge. Here, we explore the methodologies for researching the origin of property. We discuss how an interdisciplinary approach can shed light on how our human ancestors shifted behaviorally from possessing an object to having exclusive property control over it. Possession occurs when social group members only respect an individual's claim to have exclusive access to an object when the individual has physical control over the object. Property occurs when an individual can claim exclusive access to an object, without challenge, regardless of whether the object is in their physical control or not. Researchers across different disciplines have asked what, if anything, distinguishes human property behavior from the behavior of other animals? Further, when and how did this behavior evolve in our lineage? Due to the considerable methodological challenges posed by researching this topic, few studies have been able to directly address these questions. In this review, we explore the challenges involved in defining property and possession and suggest a two‐step approach to interdisciplinary definitions. Next, we evaluate four core approaches to the study of property behavior: evolutionary game theory, ethology, comparative cognition, and developmental psychology. Finally, we propose an empirical study, using an ethological approach to test the presence of property and possessive behavior in a natural setting, using our closest living relative, the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). Overall, we argue that this field of research is at a turning point, where the novel integration of various methods may provide an explanation to the origin of property.

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“…Thus experimental research shows that in markets and market‐like competitive environments, people's behavior does more closely resemble the assumptions of traditional rational action theory, but this is less true in other kinds of institutional/cultural environments (Apicella et al. ; Fehr and Gintis ). Whatever cognitive and affective tendencies that we share apparently produce different responses in different settings, and isolating a useful lowest common denominator model of the actor is at this stage likely impossible.…”

Section: Implications Of the Two Examples Considered Jointlymentioning

confidence: 97%

Can (and Should) We Construct an Evolutionary Psychological Theory of Institutions?

Eastwood

2015

Sociological Forum

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This article considers the question of whether, as a number of scholars have suggested, we can (or should) develop a theory of institutions from the perspective of evolutionary psychology (EP), construed broadly. To do so, the article reviews EP's core explanatory strategy and the main claims that have been made by proponents of an EP institutional theory, focusing on arguments about (1) welfare states and (2) “honor cultures” and the institutions associated with them. On the one hand, the article argues, there are both logical and empirical problems with current efforts to develop EP theories of these institutional domains. On the other hand, sociology's relative absence from the development of such theories contributes to these problems, and sociologists can learn from EP. Above all, insights drawn from EP may help us to construct better accounts of various institutions’ micro‐foundations. To this end, collaboration and exchange between EP scholars and sociologists is called for, and some suggestions are made about how this might be done most fruitfully.

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Evolutionary Origins of the Endowment Effect: Evidence from Hunter-Gatherers

Cited by 108 publications

References 29 publications

Hadza Men With Lower Voice Pitch Have a Better Hunting Reputation

Hadza Men With Lower Voice Pitch Have a Better Hunting Reputation

Rethinking the evolution of property and possession: A review and methodological proposition

Can (and Should) We Construct an Evolutionary Psychological Theory of Institutions?

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