Journal
AMERICAN NATURALIST
Volume 164, Issue 6, Pages E154-E167Publisher
UNIV CHICAGO PRESS
DOI: 10.1086/425223
Keywords
social policing; altruism; acquiescence; social insects; worker reproduction; caste conflict
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In social groups composed of kin, inclusive fitness benefits can favor greater cooperation. Alternatively, cooperation can be enforced through the policing of less cooperative individuals. Here, we show that the effect of policing can be twofold: not only can it directly suppress individual selfishness, it can also entirely remove the incentive for individuals to act selfishly in the first place. We term such individual restraint in response to socially imposed policing acquiescence and illustrate the concept using examples drawn from the social Hymenoptera ( the ants, bees, and wasps). Inclusive fitness models confirm that when a policing system is in place, individuals should be less tempted to act selfishly. This is shown to have important consequences for the resolution of conflict within their societies. For example, it can explain why in many species very few workers attempt to reproduce and why immature females usually do not attempt to develop as queens rather than workers. Although our analyses are primarily focused on the social insects, our conclusions are likely to be general and to apply to other societies as well.
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