Is peer punishment needed under  threat?

People are exposed to a wide range of aversive conditions, including climate change and pandemics, which can have a profound impact on individual wellbeing and communal functioning. While there is evidence suggesting that exposure to threat and the prospect of punishment promote cooperation, the necessity of punishment in cooperation’s maintenance under threat is largely unexplored. In the current study, we examined whether the presence of threat requires less punishment to maintain cooperation. In a laboratory experiment individuals in groups of three (N=60) were exposed (or not) to the threat of electric shocks while deciding how much to contribute to the common pool. Additionally, half of the tested groups (N=30) were subjected to a peer-punishment procedure in which individuals had the option to deduct money (MU’s) from other group members’ accounts. Heart rate and skin conductance were continuously measured while participants were exposed to the aforementioned procedure. In...Show morePeople are exposed to a wide range of aversive conditions, including climate change and pandemics, which can have a profound impact on individual wellbeing and communal functioning. While there is evidence suggesting that exposure to threat and the prospect of punishment promote cooperation, the necessity of punishment in cooperation’s maintenance under threat is largely unexplored. In the current study, we examined whether the presence of threat requires less punishment to maintain cooperation. In a laboratory experiment individuals in groups of three (N=60) were exposed (or not) to the threat of electric shocks while deciding how much to contribute to the common pool. Additionally, half of the tested groups (N=30) were subjected to a peer-punishment procedure in which individuals had the option to deduct money (MU’s) from other group members’ accounts. Heart rate and skin conductance were continuously measured while participants were exposed to the aforementioned procedure. In comparison to the nothreat condition, the threat of shock resulted in a neurophysiological freezing response characterized by a reduction in heart rate and an increase in skin conductance. We find that in contrast to our expectations, threat by itself does not promote cooperation and punishment is needed in cooperation’s maintenance. Overall, our results suggest that the presence of threat does not diminish the role of punishment in increasing cooperation. Our results have implications for policy interventions designed to sustain cooperation under threat.Show less

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Is peer punishment needed under threat?