Altruistic Punishment

Definition

Altruistic punishment refers to the act of punishing others, even at a personal cost, in order to promote fairness and cooperation within a group. It involves individuals sacrificing their own benefits to enforce social norms and maintain group harmony.

Related terms

Prosocial behavior: Engaging in actions that benefit others or society as a whole.

Reciprocity: The idea that people tend to respond to positive actions with positive actions and negative actions with negative actions.

Social norms: Shared expectations or rules about appropriate behavior within a specific social group or culture.