COOPERATION AS A CONDITIONAL STRATEGY AMONG PEERS - INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL ECOLOGY AND KIN RELATIONS

The goal of this study is to analyse sources of variation, residing wi thin the individual or within the relationship, in the ability to bala nce co-operative and competitive behaviours in a dyadic context. The a bility to balance these two tendencies can be considered fundamental t o successful adaptation within a social unit because co-operation may be essential in raising offspring, competing with other groups or in g enerating resources, whereas egoistic behaviour may protect the indivi dual from exploitation or otherwise enhance reproductive success. Rese arch is reviewed on the influence of social structures and relationshi ps on co-operation in peer groups, and the origin and developmental si gnificance of individual differences in co-operative abilities. Finall y, a research programme investigating the conjunction of kin and peer relations is described, emphasising the role of affective synchrony, b ehavioural contingency, and reciprocity in shaping and sustaining co-o perative behaviour as a conditional strategy.