The paper is very comprehensive, and consistent with all the reading I have done on human behaviour across multiple disciplines (anthropology, sociology, history, psychology, biology).
What I really appreciate is that the paper highlights the dangers and limitations "recursive theory of mind" based on individual alliances, or what I like to call "social gaming", and it does a good job of outlining the autistic and autism friendly path to pro-sociality based on collaborative morality.
The authors of the paper come from different disciplines and in particular examine anthropological, archeological, as well as genetic evidence. The paper is quite long. Here is my attempt of a synopsis:
Recursive theory of mind is cognitively costly, and recursive mentalising can lead to anxiety as to what others think or feel, and is associated with psychosis. Advanced levels of perspective-taking can even increase competitiveness between individuals (adding ‘fuel to the fire’), where it becomes ‘do unto others as you think they will try to do unto you’.
We trust and respect those who cooperate without counting the costs, i.e. those motivated by another’s wellbeing adhere to moral principles without attempting to think through the intentions of others.
Selection pressures within human societies were not simply orientated around immediate responses or short-term social value, and social buffering of vulnerabilities was common.
As human collaborative morality emerged, the following of and enforcement of group norms became primary, and reputation, influence and selection were structured through these norms. This transition opens up a niche for alternative adaptive strategies to sociality for several reasons.
1. It brings with it the punishment of free-riders, bullies and cheats and third-party retaliation for anti-social behaviour, creating an environment in which those with less complex theory of mind abilities would be protected from exploitation.
2. Judgements and contributions to group wellbeing become important. Rather than social astuteness, signals of pro-social motivations and behaviours that positively affect the group thus become a major factor in reputation and selective success.
3. The food sharing, collaborative parenting and maintenance of egalitarian dynamics which form the basis of human evolutionary success buffer individual shortfalls not only in resources (the basis for economic success) but also in abilities.
Selection for pro-social intentions and behaviours occurs from at least 1.5 million years ago, with increasing material evidence for care of the vulnerable. New opportunities arose for alternative strategies to sociality, including those which do not depend on complex social understanding and theory of mind. Within the hunting and gathering societies of modern humans it becomes more important to be valued and pro-socially motivated than to be socially clever.
In a modern context amongst the Baka severely disabled individuals form a social nexus, being those who bring different groups together.
Collaborative morality opens up opportunities to be respected and appreciated through the emergence of distinct abilities, virtues or spheres of elevated influence and respect even when these are associated with deficits. Egalitarian hunter-gatherers place well documented constraints on any attempts to gain power over others, although temporary inequalities or social differentiation on the basis of knowledge are common. Distinctive sets of valued skills (e.g. technical skills) also lead to specific social roles.
Amongst the Inuit, for whom life in extreme cold depends on well designed and well functioning technology particular social values are placed on boldness, perseverance and exactitude, with these values expressed both in storytelling and through innovative designs, patience and attention to detail in soapstone carving.
In a pertinent study of enhanced perceptual abilities and resistance to social conformity, which compared people with autism with neurotypical individuals in the Asch conformity paradigm, those with autism were found to resist changing their spontaneous judgement to an array of graphic lines despite social pressure to change by conforming to the erroneous judgement of an authoritative confederate. Whilst a logical and moralistic approach to social interactions may not lead to fluid conversations, pleasing comments or a natural ability to put others at ease, a tendency to be whistle-blowers, and to counteract aggressive behaviour through adherence to moral principles, gives individuals with AS a certain respect in a collaborative social context.
Collaborative morality provides a catalyst therefore for different adaptive strategies to pro-sociality, and a widening of human personality variation. Many of the mental syndromes that have been identified over the recent past for example as set out in DSM-5, have a genetic component and before these were identified as such they were often regarded in other ways by particular communities based on ongoing belief systems. AS, and traits of autism, can be regarded as an alternative pro-social adaptive strategy.
Autism without intellectual impairment, AS, is widely prevalent in modern society. Research into population-wide variability of the Autism Quotient suggests around 2% of individuals within populations would be diagnosed with AS. Most however remain undiagnosed, despite their notable cognitive difference.
Rather than see individuals with AS as outside society, anthropological perspectives argue that we should recognise a different sociality. Individuals with AS certainly develop a theory of mind which is different in being based on the use of rules and logic, but nonetheless works. Rather than being asocial, a rule-based theory of mind is sufficient to ‘get along’ socially, including facilitating long-term collaborative planning.
One is often unaware from casual acquaintance that someone has autism and individuals with AS often have high levels of role and function in society, particularly in spheres such as engineering, mathematics, physics, information technology and law and have partners and children.
A social understanding based on logic may bring disadvantages to understanding emotionally and socially complex situations, but it frees up cognitive potential for enhanced abilities in other realms, both technical and social, which can contribute to a positive social reputation.
Heightened perception influences and reinforces an amplified understanding of particular skills, which facilitates a remarkable ability to focus with enhanced skills in mathematics, as well as chemistry and engineering. The incorporation of these skills into a community would, in this way, play a role in the development of specialists, the construction of specialist niches and enhanced innovation.
17 Nov 2016, 7:46 am
