Does mobility decrease cooperation?

J Theor Biol. 2007 Feb 21;244(4):722-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2006.09.012. Epub 2006 Sep 22.

Abstract

We explore the minimal conditions for sustainable cooperation on a spatially distributed population of memoryless, unconditional strategies (cooperators and defectors) in presence of unbiased, non-contingent mobility in the context of the Prisoner's Dilemma game. We find that cooperative behavior is not only possible but may even be enhanced by such an "always-move" rule, when compared with the strongly viscous ("never-move") case. In addition, mobility also increases the capability of cooperation to emerge and invade a population of defectors, what may have a fundamental role in the problem of the onset of cooperation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cooperative Behavior*
  • Game Theory
  • Humans
  • Models, Psychological
  • Movement*
  • Population Dynamics
  • Psychology, Social