Conformists less likely to behave for the greater good

[Bruce Wayne]

Nice game theory experiment here found that people who don't conform to the norm are more likely to behave in the greater good.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886910002758

 

[Hibbert&Ernie]

Selfishness in numbers?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Well the researchers believe that the conformists, as you would expect, take their behavioural queues from everyone else, so if everyone else is shirking, they shirk as well.

 

[Hibbert&Ernie]

So actually it is a case of the wrong role models are publicised, and so, if the selfless/couragous/honest individuals were made more a story of within society then the minnows would shoal in their respective wakes?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Maybe so, but the 'non-conformists' still behaved well in the collective good sense, which is not what one would expect.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Interesting piece here on the evolutionary explanations behind generosity

http://www.economist.com/node/21524698

 

[Silas]

So then the answer is to put a well intentioned "good" conformist in power thus making for a good society? Or is the answer to let the conformists follow a non-conformist?

 

[Reidy's Bottle Of Grecian]

The conformists follow the celebs etc, the rich and famous, they hanker to be like them due to a perpetuation of self-greed that became most prevalent during Thatchers era. The must haves that have to have what 'everyone else' has, banging it on the credit cards that they can't afford, they want so they shall have and stuff if it impacts on others.

It's all Thatchers Fault as the Yuppie mentality made it down the chain.

 

[CanadaToffee]

I think this does make intuitive sense if we define "greater good" as being community-based or national, as opposed to global. Note that it's "more likely" and not across the board; some non-conformists will act very much against the greater good. In fact, in a spectrum stretching from "act in the greater good" through "do nothing notable' and ending at "do great harm", I'd expect conformists to aggregate in the middle with nonconformists trending towards each end, somewhat more concentrated on the "greater good" side.

 

[ToffeeMark]

The UEA?....hmmm climate change conspiracy?!?.....I think they're a bunch of slackers and hippies there.

They're probably just trying to justify their hippiness and slackness.