Question

Interactions among unrelated individuals are governed by self-interest. However, a paradox of social behavior is that conflict can reduce the fitness of selfish individuals below that of cooperative individuals. What is the paradox of social behavior?

1) Conflict can reduce the fitness of selfish individuals below that of cooperative individuals.
2) Interactions among unrelated individuals are governed by self-interest.
3) Conflict can increase the fitness of selfish individuals above that of cooperative individuals.
4) Cooperative individuals have lower fitness than selfish individuals.

Answer 1

The paradox of social behavior is that conflict can reduce the fitness of selfish individuals below that of cooperative individuals.

Step-by-step explanation:

The paradox of social behavior is that conflict can reduce the fitness of selfish individuals below that of cooperative individuals. While interactions among unrelated individuals are generally governed by self-interest, there are situations where cooperation can be more advantageous than selfishness. A classic example is reciprocal altruism, where unrelated individuals engage in mutually beneficial behaviors with the expectation of receiving reciprocity in the future. This behavior can be observed in various animal species.