Oneshowedthatadultsaremuchmorecooperativeiftheyworkinasystembasedonrewards.
ResearchersatHarvardUniversityintheUnitedStatesandtheStockholmSchoolofEconomicsin
Swedendidthestudy.
TheyhadabouttwohundredcollegestudentsplayaversionofthegameknownasthePrisoner's
Dilemma.Thegameisbasedonthetensionbetweentheinterestsofanindividualandagroup.The
studentsplayedingroupsoffour.Eachplayercouldwinpointsforthegroupsotheywouldallgain
equally.Buteachplayercouldalsorewardorpunisheachoftheotherthreeplayersatacosttothe
punisher.HarvardresearcherDavidRandsaysthemostsuccessfulbehaviorprovedtobecooperation.
Thegroupsthatrewardeditthemostearnedabouttwiceasmuchinthegameasthegroupsthat
rewardedittheleast.ThestudyappearedlastmonthinthejournalScience.
Theotherstudyinvolvedchildren.ItwaspresentedlastmonthinCaliforniaataconferenceon
violenceandabuse.Researchersusedintelligencetestsgiventotwogroups.Morethaneighthundred
childrenwereagestwotofourthefirsttimetheyweretested.Morethansevenhundredchildrenwere
agesfivetonine.Thetwogroupswereretestedfouryearslaterandthestudycomparedtheresults
withthefirsttest.Bothgroupscontainedchildrenwhoseparentsusedphysicalpunishmentandchildren
whoseparentsdidnot.
ThestudysaystheIQsoftheyoungerchildrenwhowerenotspankedwerefivepointshigherthan
thosewhowere.Intheoldergroupthedifferencewasalmostthreepoints.Themoretheyarespanked
theslowertheirmentaldevelopment.
B.thelessagrouppunisheditselftheloweritsearnings
C.adultsaremuchmorecooperativeifrewarded
D.thegameisintroducedinthejournalScience