Cooperation and Competition- Period 5

Humans are ultra-social. We are constantly interacting with other individuals and groups. Often during these interactions people can find that their immediate self interest is at odds with what is best for their relationships, family, work organizations, community , nation, and species. How we resolve these motivational conflicts is a central issue in the study of human conflict and cooperation. This course will cover theories and research on human cooperation. In so doing, we will examine several different perspectives on human cooperation (e.g., evolution, cultural theory, and interdependence theory) and review research on the factors that influence cooperation (e.g., communication, incentives, motives, and trust). The study of human cooperation has several practical implications, e.g. how to reduce conflict in marriages, what are the most effect ways to manage work groups, what can governments do to encourage corporations to engage in environmentally friendly behaviors, and what strategies can reduce international conflict, to name a few. Throughout the course we will address both theoretical and practical implications of research on human cooperation.

Contact hours listed under a course description may vary due to the combination of lecture-based and independent work required for each course therefore, CEA's recommended credits are based on the ECTS credits assigned by VU Amsterdam. 1 ECTS equals 28 contact hours assigned by VU Amsterdam.