the weekend after a hurricane hit the coast of Veracruz. Although the strength of winds from the hurricane itself was not as devastating, the precipitation amount of water that threw the hurricane was overflowing rivers in Veracruz land (and even in other states). This phenomenon resulted in several villages were flooded by the overflowing of rivers. Most of the belongings that were in the houses of these people were useless, and many families lost from clothes to appliances, to mattresses, chairs, tables, utensils, etc. etc. etc ...
Altruism
Once pass the phenomenon finished a lot of people decided to help communities Unfortunately, mainly by sending material assistance including food, clothing, and water, among other things. However for me it was more gratifying to see that many volunteers help provide, which is spending its time. It was a very pleasant surprise to see people who came to these communities leading cleaning tools and putting it in person to wash, scrub, sweep and leave the houses habitable again the victims.
But how to explain this behavior? Why use your break time to go to "work" to help a community of people who do not know? There are several theories to explain this behavior. For example, the theory of kin selection or kin concerns apparent in the development strategies that favor the reproductive success of relatives of an organism, even at the cost of their reproduction or survival. The classic example of this type of behavior is that of a colony of insects in which sterile females get to work to assist his mother in the production of more offspring. However, in the case that concerns us many volunteers had no relatives in the affected communities, it would be difficult to adjust the kinship theory to this type of behavior.
Reciprocity
Another theory might be more appropriate theory of reciprocity. In terms of reciprocity evolutionary biology concerns the mechanisms by which co-promotes altruistic behavior by the probability of mutual interactions in the future. Have been proposed at least two types of reciprocity. In direct reciprocity, yes there is a likelihood of encounters between two individuals occur frequently, then be evolutionarily favored the adoption of a strategy of mutual cooperation even when in the short term some of them will win but if not cooperating. That is, one could "win more" short term by staying at home this weekend and not going to help people in distress. But long term this would lead to greater benefits for both (the helper and the helped) if it is to help those affected. In indirect reciprocity posits a series of random encounters between members of the population, which could be that two individuals could not to meet again. If one acts as a donor and the other as recipient, the donor may decide not to cooperate. However, a population group could see this interaction and report to the rest of the population, so in this case the reputation is what allows the evolution of cooperation in indirect reciprocity. For example we have shown that people who are more aid is more likely to receive help.
However, in the case of indirect reciprocity can be given different cases, such as reciprocity in an act of altruism that causes the individual who was assisted by whom are then delivered to a third individual, a phenomenon which is known as reciprocity uphill. Alternatively, it could be that he runs an act of altruism is itself the recipient of further assistance by a third individual, which is known as reciprocity downhill.
Now that, actually, these scientific discourses have little to do with a sense of personal experience going to help. Yes, perhaps one might think that it is acting purely as a result of an evolutionary mechanism, but ultimately it is like when we eat a delicious chocolate cake accompanied by a cappuccino, just knowing the physiology of the senses taste and smell does not mean that you can delight in them!.
Well, as this blog is cognitive neuroscience, I can only say that no loss in the next edition of the neural basis of social cooperation.
