Abstract: “Paying it forward” is a behavior in which people help someone else because they were helped in the past. Although experimenta

Evolution of “Pay-It-Forward” in the Presence of the Temptation to Free-Ride

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2024-05-05 23:00:03

Abstract: “Paying it forward” is a behavior in which people help someone else because they were helped in the past. Although experimental evidence exists that indicates that real human beings often “pay-it-forward” even in the face of free-rider risks, the theoretical basis for the evolution of this behavior remains unclear. In this paper, we propose a game-theoretical model that explains how pay-it-forward behavior can evolve despite the temptation to free-ride. By assuming that human beings exhibit cognitive distortions, as predicted by prospect theory, and that free-riding is punished with a tiny probability, we demonstrate that pay-it-forward, alongside unconditional altruistic behavior, can evolve and effectively deter free-riding behavior. Keywords: pay-it-forward; cooperation; social dilemma; punishment; evolutionary game theory; prospect theory; expected utility theory

Uchida, S.; Sasaki, T.; Yamamoto, H.; Okada, I. Evolution of “Pay-It-Forward” in the Presence of the Temptation to Free-Ride. Games 2024, 15, 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/g15030016