The Effect of Westernization on Cooperative Behaviour in Central Africa

Abstract

The traditional ethos of Central African societies emphasises cooperation and sharing. In a Prisoner's Dilemma game, traditional Tonga men and women in Zambia played more cooperatively than westernized Tonga people and Asian students. The ir greater cooperativeness showed most clearly in their tendency to make a cooperative response even after their partner had defected, whereas other groups tended to meet defection with defection.