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Human cooperation

Second-order free-riding problem solved? (reply)

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Abstract

We have shown that, if a system of indirect reciprocity is stable, exclusion from that system could deter collective-action cheats1. Unlike direct punishment2,3,4,5, indirect punishers benefit by avoiding donation, obviating the second-order free-rider problem. Fowler claims6, however, that we assume away the second-order free-rider problem, and (by adding a new error term) argues that indirect-reciprocity defectors undermine cooperation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Culture and Department of Anthropology, Center for Behavior, Evolution, University of California, Los Angeles, 90095, California, USA

    Karthik Panchanathan & Rob Boyd

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  1. Karthik Panchanathan
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  2. Rob Boyd
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Correspondence to Karthik Panchanathan.

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Panchanathan, K., Boyd, R. Second-order free-riding problem solved? (reply). Nature 437, E8–E9 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04202

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