Rewards are crucial objects that induce learning, approach behavior, choices, and
emotions. Whereas emotions are difficult to investigate in animals, the learning function is …

The challenge of studying human cognitive evolution is identifying unique features of our
intelligence while explaining the processes by which they arose. Comparisons with …

Although psychologists have paid scant attention to the sense of obligation as a distinctly
human motivation, moral philosophers have identified two of its key features: First, it has a …

Modern theories of the evolution of human cooperation focus mainly on altruism. In contrast,
we propose that humans' species-unique forms of cooperation—as well as their species …

From an evolutionary perspective, morality is a form of cooperation. Cooperation requires
individuals either to suppress their own self-interest or to equate it with that of others. We …

A leading expert on evolution and communication presents an empirically based theory of
the evolutionary origins of human communication that challenges the dominant Chomskian …

Experiments indicate that selection against aggression in mammals can have multiple
effects on their morphology, physiology, behaviour and psychology, and that these results …

Evolutionary theory postulates that altruistic behavior evolved for the return-benefits it bears
the performer. For return-benefits to play a motivational role, however, they need to be …

Background The human sense of fairness presents an evolutionary puzzle because it
appears to run counter to the short-term interests of at least some parties. We not only react …