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Egoistic and Nonegoistic Motives in Social Dilemmas

Author
Lynn, Michael; Oldenquist, Andrew
Abstract
Many of the world's problems (e.g., overpopulation, pollution, and the depletion of nonrenewable resources) may be characterized as social dilemmas. The solutions to social dilemmas, then, are very important. In this article, we argue: (a) that social psychologists have approached the problem of social dilemmas with an egoistic bias, (b) that this bias limits the number and types of solutions to dilemmas that psychologists investigate, (c) that egoistically based solutions to social dilemmas are not adequate in many real-world dilemmas, and (d) that viable solutions to these dilemmas may be found in nonegoistic motives.
Date Issued
1986-01-01Subject
egoistic bias; social psychologists; nonegoistic motives; social dilemmas
Related DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.41.5.529Rights
Required Publisher Statement: © American Psychological Association. Final version published as: Lynn, M., & Oldenquist, A. (1986). Egoistic and nonegoistic motives in social dilemmas. American Psychologist, 41(5), 529-534. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
Type
article