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Feelings of obligation are valuations of signaling-mediated social payoffs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 April 2020

Amanda Rotella Open the ORCID record for Amanda Rotella [Opens in a new window] ,
Adam Maxwell Sparks  and
Pat Barclay Open the ORCID record for Pat Barclay [Opens in a new window]
Amanda Rotella
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada. arotella@uoguelph.cabarclayp@uoguelph.cahttp://amandarotella.ca/research/http://www.patbarclay.com/
Adam Maxwell Sparks
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology and Center for Behavior, Evolution and Culture, University of California, Los Angeles, CA90095-1553. adspar@fastmail.comhttp://adammaxwellsparks.com/
Pat Barclay
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada. arotella@uoguelph.cabarclayp@uoguelph.cahttp://amandarotella.ca/research/http://www.patbarclay.com/
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Abstract

We extend Tomasello's framework by addressing the functional challenge of obligation. If the long-run social consequences of a decision are sufficiently costly, obligation motivates the actor to forgo potential immediate benefits in favor of long-term social interests. Thus, obligation psychology balances the downstream socially-mediated payoffs from a decision. This perspective can predict when and why obligation will be experienced.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 43 , 2020 , e85
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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