Acceso usuarios
Raphaël Chalmeau, Alain Gallo
The behaviour of cooperative individuals appears to involve cognitive abilities specific to human beings. However, biologists have proposed mathematical models to investigate the dynamics of cooperation in an evolutionary framework ; cooperative behaviour is assumed to be transmitted genetically from one generation to another. These mathematical models calculate the costs and benefits of cooperative behaviour and predict the evolution of different behavioural strategies in animal populations. In this neo-darwinian perspective, the question of the existence of intentional cooperation in animals is not approached. From a cognitive-psychological perspective, the problem is to determine the criteria that allow us to define cooperation, to decide if cooperative behaviour exists in animals, and possibly, to explain how this behaviour is acquired. We propose a « cognitive » definition of cooperation and discuss the nature of this ability in non-human primates.
