PROSOCIAL Virtual Seminar November 2026 

To register for the PROSOCIAL Virtual seminar on November 10th, 2026, at 2:30 PM (CET) please fill out the form below. You will receive an email that contains the link for joining the seminar.

Title of the presentation: Human cooperation is strong among individuals but fragile between groups

Speaker: Paul van Lange (VU Amsterdam)

Abstract: Humans are often described as a cooperative species, and there is indeed a good deal of empirical support for this claim. However, there is also ample evidence of distrust, hostility, and aggression. In this presentation, I draw on the decades-long literature of human cooperation to reconcile this conflicting evidence. Specifically, I advance a theoretical model that suggests that individuals frequently engage cooperatively with other individuals, but that cooperation between groups is more fragile. I further outline that compared to groups, cooperation in dyads is often more easily achieved through three complementary mechanisms: reciprocity, empathy, and psychological safety. Conversely, cooperation is rare between groups because individuals often hold some intuition-based mistrust towards outgroup members that motivates ingroup favoritism, which can turn into evidence-based distrust following experiences of parochialism by outgroups. When groups are negatively interdependent and perceive outgroup threat, intergroup relations can further deteriorate into conflict characterized by hostility and sometimes even hate. The paper concludes by outlining implications of this model for improving intergroup relations, along with some implications for broader societal issues.

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