Emergence of a Sharing Norm in a Simulated Hunter-Gatherer Society

Abstract

Sharing is a behaviour that is observed in humans and other primates. In this paper, our objective is to demonstrate how the norm of sharing changes based on environmental conditions. Using agent based modeling, we have simulated a hunter-gatherer society where the norms of the society are affected by changing environmental conditions. In particular, we demonstrate how norms might change in a society based on the changes to type of resources available in the society. We present several experiments that have been conducted on the emergence of the sharing norm and discuss the results obtained.