Cooperation

Humans possess a remarkable capacity to engage in large-scale cooperation. Within groups, we disseminate knowledge, coordinate actions, and establish and sustain public goods from which everyone can benefit. However, cooperation is susceptible to exploitation and presents a social dilemma. When others do not cooperate, the optimal response is often to refrain from cooperating as well. Conversely, if others cooperate, individuals may be tempted to reap the benefits of cooperation without contributing themselves. This research focus aims to understand how groups can overcome this free-rider problem, reaveal mechanisms to maintain cooperation, and explore how group cooperation shapes expectations and trust dynamics among individual members.

Social Norms

Intricately linked to cooperation are social norms, which broadly encompass the implicit expectations shared among individuals that guide appropriate behavior across various contexts. Cooperation norms are particularly interesting, as they often require individuals to restrain self-interest to achieve collective benefits. Despite their significance, our understanding of how social norms emerge in groups, endure, and influence behavior remains incomplete. Moreover, groups can sometimes create 'anti-social' norms that legitimize harmful or unethical behavior towards others. Gaining deeper insights into the development and impact of social norms on behavior would allow us to better predict the conditions under which groups are likely to cooperate, compete, or disband.

Conflict

Cooperation entails investing personal resources (time, money, energy) for the benefit of others. However, humans frequently also allocate substantial resources to cause harm, exploit, or compete with others. In conflict scenarios, resources are wasted and only serve to assert dominance or outcompete others. Therefore, a pivotal goal is to identify the circumstances under which individuals are inclined to spend time and effort to harm others. Particularly in intergroup contexts, understanding mechanisms that de-escalate conflict and foster intergroup cooperation may help to resolve perpetuating conflict dynamics.

Gross, Meder, De Dreu, Romano, Molenmaker & Hoenig (2023). The evolution of universal cooperation. Science Advances.
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Gross, De Dreu & Reddmann (2022). Shadow of conflict: How past conflict influences group cooperation and the use of punishment. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.
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Gross & Vostroknutov (2022). Why do people follow social norms? Current Opinion in Psychology.
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Gross et al. (2021). When helping is risky: The behavioral and neurobiological tradeoff of social and risk preferences. Psychological Science.
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Gross & Böhm (2020). Voluntary restrictions on self-reliance increase cooperation and mitigate wealth inequality. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Gross & De Dreu (2019). Individual solutions to shared problems create a modern tragedy of the commons. Science Advances.
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Gross & De Dreu (2019). The rise and fall of cooperation through reputation and group polarization. Nature Communications.
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