Computer model shows that humans like to form groups
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.027648
Science : Although it has long been believed that humans naturally form into groups based on certain identifying characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, or even favorite sports team, the behavior actually occurs in any population, even a seemingly homogeneous one, according to a recent study . Kurt Gray of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, David Rand of Yale University, and coworkers created a computer model to find out why people tend to divide into groups of “us” and “them.” They based their model on an idea in game theory called the prisoner’s dilemma : When two individuals cooperate, they grow close; when they don’t, they grow apart. In addition, individuals shared their friends’ opinions about others. The researchers found that group genesis comes down to just those two fundamental principles of reciprocity and transitivity.
