Skip to main content
Book cover

Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science pp 1–8Cite as

Costly Signaling Theory

Synonyms

Competitive altruism; Handicap principle; Honest signaling

Definition

“Costly signaling theory” proposes that animals (including humans) may send honest signals about desirable personal characteristics and access to resources through costly biological displays, altruism, or other behaviors that would be hard to fake.

Introduction

The existence of altruism was something of an obstacle for early evolutionary theorists, since an organism that engaged in behavior that came at a great personal cost and seemed to solely benefit other individuals appeared difficult for natural selection to explain. It was not until the introduction of the concept of inclusive fitness, also known as kin selection, by Hamilton in 1964 that evolutionists had a satisfactory theoretical framework for discussing altruism. The concept of kin selection, however, could not account for the many altruistic acts performed for individuals who are not genetic kin. An additional form of altruism, reciprocal altruism...

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

References

  • Barclay, P., & Willer, R. (2007). Partner choice creates competitive altruism in humans. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B, 274, 749–753.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Bereczkei, T., Birkas, B., & Kerekes, Z. (2010). Altruism toward strangers in need: Costly signaling in an industrial society. Evolution and Human Behavior, 31, 95–103.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Bliege Bird, R. B., & Smith, E. A. (2005). Signaling theory, strategic interaction, and symbolic capital. Current Anthropology, 46, 221–248.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Bloch, F., Rao, V., & Desai, S. (2004). Wedding celebrations as conspicuous consumption: Signaling social status in rural India. The Journal of Human Resources, 39, 675–695.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Boone, J. L. (1998). The evolution of magnanimity: When is it better to give than to receive? Human Nature, 9, 1–21.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Bowles, S., & Gintis, S. (2011). A cooperative species: Human reciprocity and its evolution. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farrelly, D., Lazarus, J., & Roberts, G. (2007). Altruists attract. Evolutionary Psychology, 5, 313–329.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Farthing, G. W. (2005). Attitudes toward heroic and nonheroic physical risk takers as mates and as friends. Evolution and Human Behavior, 26, 171–185.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Fessler, D. M. T., Tiokhin, L. B., Holbrook, C., Gervais, M. M., & Snyder, J. K. (2014). Foundations of the Crazy Bastard Hypothesis: Nonviolent physical risk-taking enhances conceptualized formidability. Evolution and Human Behavior, 35, 26–33.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Grafen, A. (1990). Biological signals as handicaps. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 144, 517–546.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Griskevicius, V., Tybur, J. M., Sundie, J. M., Cialdini, R. B., Miller, G. F., & Kenrick, D. T. (2007). Blatant benevolence and conspicuous consumption. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93, 85–102.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Griskevicius, V., Tybur, J. M., & Van den Bergh, B. (2010). Going green to be seen: Status, reputation, and conspicuous consumption. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98, 392–404.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Gurven, M., Allen-Arave, W., Hill, K., & Hurtado, M. (2000). It’s a wonderful life: Signaling generosity among the Ache of Paraguay. Evolution and Human Behavior, 21, 263–282.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Haley, K. J., & Fessler, D. M. T. (2005). Nobody’s watching? Subtle cues affect generosity in an anonymous economic game. Evolution and Human Behavior, 26, 257–270.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, W. D. (1964). The genetical evolution of social behavior, I, II. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 7, 1–52.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkes, K. (1991). Showing off: Tests of another hypothesis about men’s foraging goals. Ethology and Sociobiology, 11, 29–54.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Hennighausen, C., Hudders, L., Lange, B. P., & Fink, H. (2016). What if the rival drives a Porsche? Luxury car spending as a costly signal in male intrasexual competition. Evolutionary Psychology, 14, 1–13.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Henrich, J. (2009). The evolution of costly displays, cooperation and religion: Credibility enhancing displays and their implications for cultural evolution. Evolution and Human Behavior, 30, 244–260.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Higham, J. P. (2014). How does honest costly signaling work? Behavioral Ecology, 25, 8–11.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, K., & Hurtado, A. M. (1996). The ecology and demography of a foraging people. New York: Aldine de Gruyter.

    Google Scholar 

  • Iredale, W., Van Vugt, M., & Dunbar, R. I. M. (2008). Showing off in humans: Male generosity as a mating signal. Evolutionary Psychology, 6, 386–392.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Iredale, W., and Van Vugt, M. (2009). The peacock’s tail of altruism. The Psychologist, 22, 938–941.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, S., & Dunbar, R. I. M. (2001). Who dares, wins. Heroism versus altruism in women’s mate choice. Human Nature, 12, 89–105.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Kniffin, K. M., & Sugiyama, M. C. (2018). Toward a natural history of team sports. Human Nature, 29, 211–218.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Lyons, M. (2005). Who are the heroes? Characteristics of people who rescue others. Journal of Cultural and Evolutionary Psychology, 3, 239–248.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • McAndrew, F. T. (2002). New evolutionary perspectives on altruism: Multilevel-selection and costly-signaling theories. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11, 79–82.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • McAndrew, F. T. (2018, Jan 9). Why men will always be more disgusting than women. Psychology Today Magazine (Blog).

    Google Scholar 

  • McAndrew, F. T., & Perilloux, C. (2012). Is self-sacrificial competitive altruism primarily a male activity? Evolutionary Psychology, 10, 50–65.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Mesquida, C. G., & Wiener, N. I. (1996). Human collective aggression: A behavioral ecology perspective. Ethology and Sociobiology, 17, 247–262.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Nelissen, R. M. A., & Meijers, M. H. C. (2011). Social benefits of luxury brands as costly signals of wealth and status. Evolution and Human Behavior, 32, 343–355.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Nowak, M. A., & Sigmund, K. (2005). Evolution of indirect reciprocity. Nature, 437, 1291–1298.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Palmer, C. T., & Tilley, C. F. (1995). Sexual access to females as a motivation for joining gangs: An evolutionary approach. The Journal of Sex Research, 32, 213–217.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, G. (1998). Competitive altruism: from reciprocity to the handicap principle. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, 265, 427–431.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Rusch, H., Leunissen, J. M., & van Vugt, M. (2015). Historical and experimental evidence of sexual selection for war heroism. Evolution and Human Behavior, 36, 367–373.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Saad, G. (2007). The evolutionary bases of consumption. Mahwah: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saad, G. (2011). The consuming instinct. Amherst: Prometheus Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, E. A. (2004). Why do good hunters have higher reproductive success? Human Nature, 15, 343–364.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, E. A., & Bird, R. L. B. (2000). Turtle hunting and tombstone opening: Public generosity as costly signaling. Evolution and Human Behavior, 21, 245–261.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Soler, M. (2012). Costly signaling, ritual and cooperation: Evidence from an Afro-Brazilian religion. Evolution and Human Behavior, 33, 3346–3356.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Sosis, R. (2000). Costly signaling and torch fishing on Ifaluk Atoll. Evolution and Human Behavior, 21, 233–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sosis, R., & Bressler, E. R. (2003). Cooperation and commune longevity: A test of the costly signaling theory of religion. Cross-Cultural Research, 37, 211–239.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Sundie, J. M., Kenrick, D. T., Grikevicius, V., Tybur, J. M., Vohs, K. D., & Beal, D. J. (2011). Peacocks, Porsches, and Thorstein Veblen: Conspicuous consumption as a sexual signaling system. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100, 664–680.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Sylwester, K., & Pawlowski, B. (2011). Daring to be darling: Attractiveness of risk takers as partners in long- and short-term sexual relationships. Sex Roles, 64, 695–706.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Trivers, R. L. (1971). The evolution of reciprocal altruism. Quarterly Review of Biology, 46, 35–57.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Van Vugt, M., & Hardy, C. L. (2010). Cooperation for reputation: Wasteful contributions as costly signals in public goods. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 13, 101–111.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y., & Griskevicius, V. (2014). Conspicuous consumption, relationships, and rivals: Women’s luxury products as signals to other women. Journal of Consumer Research, 40, 834–854.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Wiessner, P. (2002). Hunting, healing, and hxaro exchange: A long-term perspective on !Kung (Ju/’hoansi) large-game hunting. Evolution and Human Behavior, 23, 407–436.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Willer, R. (2009). Groups reward individual sacrifice: The status solution to the collective action problem. American Sociological Review, 74, 23–43.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, D. S. (2002). Darwin’s Cathedral: Evolution, religion, and the nature of society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, M. I., & Daly, M. (1985). Competitiveness, risk-taking, and violence: The young male syndrome. Ethology and Sociobiology, 6, 59–73.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Zahavi, A. (1975). Mate selection: A selection for handicap. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 53, 205–214.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Zahavi, A. (1977). Reliability in communication systems and the evolution of altruism. In B. Stonehouse & C. M. Perrins (Eds.), Evolutionary ecology (pp. 253–259). London: Macmillan Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Knox College, Galesburg, IL, USA

    Francis T. McAndrew

Authors
  1. Francis T. McAndrew
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francis T. McAndrew .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Dr. Todd K. Shackelford

  2. Rochester, MI, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Kevin Kniffin

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

McAndrew, F.T. (2019). Costly Signaling Theory. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3483-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3483-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social Sciences