Some cultures punish cooperators rather than freeriders in economic games

Evidence

Herrmann et al. (2008) demonstrate, in cross-cultural game experiments, the existence in some cultures, such as Turkey, Greece, and Saudi Arabia, of what they call “antisocial punishment,” where cooperators, not freeriders, are punished! Antisocial punishment is rare in Western societies, and without cross-cultural comparisons, would have been missed. — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 831

Categorization

• XREF: Counterweight to the homogenous-cooperation assumption in the partner-choice / Big God framework the reader is building. — connects to: Cultural evolution can lock groups into maladaptive equilibria, not just prosocial ones; Fairness in economic games tracks perceived entitlement rather than raw contribution. — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality: The…, 467; People punish free-riders partly to correct inequality, not only to enforce cooperation. — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality: The…, 184 (+3 more)
• CANDY: A striking, tweetable fact: in some societies the cooperators, not the cheaters, get punished.
• QUESTION: How does antisocial punishment square with reputational/Big God accounts of prosociality?
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Norenzayan, Ara, Big gods - how religion transformed…, 831

Broader Connections

• Fairness in economic games tracks perceived entitlement rather than raw contribution. #complicates (0.78) — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality, 467
• People punish free-riders partly to correct inequality, not only to enforce cooperation. #complicates (0.75) — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality, 184