Why are adults so much more cooperative than children? A contrarian
might dispute this, but I'd say it's pretty obvious. Kids resort to
violence very quickly, adults very slowly. Kids go out of their way to
hurt other kids' feelings; adults try to avoid saying anything that
might get back to someone they don't like. Kids steal stuff from other
kids much more readily than adults would. Etc.
A few explanations:
1. Adults have a much higher absolute IQ than kids (i.e., kids' IQs are
age-adjusted, adults' IQs are not), so they are smart enough to
recognize the indirect effects of their behavior.
2. Adults have lower time preference than kids.
3. Adults have had more time to learn about indirect consequences.
4. Adults are just less spiteful.
5. Adults face harsher punishment.
6. The child and adult worlds are in two very different coordination
equilibria. Notice how drastically the 12th-grade high school culture
differs from the 1st-year college culture.
Other ideas?
--
Prof. Bryan Caplan
Department of Economics George Mason University
http://www.bcaplan.com [EMAIL PROTECTED]
"He wrote a letter, but did not post it because he felt that no one
would have understood what he wanted to say, and besides it was not
necessary that anyone but himself should understand it."
Leo Tolstoy, *The Cossacks*
