On intrapersonal reciprocity

The existence of conflicts between different sets of genes within the genome is now widely accepted. But where there is conflict, there are also benefits to be gained from cooperation between the contending parties to reduce conflict costs. The potential for reciprocal altruism (Trivers, 1971) within an individual organism has hitherto attracted little attention but raises the possibility of complex interactions within the self. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.