Brian Hare

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

Papers

Total Citations

276

H-Index

About

Brian Hare is a leading scholar in the evolution of human cooperation and social cognition. His research integrates evolutionary biology, experimental economics, and cognitive neuroscience to explore how humans became uniquely cooperative. Hare’s most influential work, "Engineering Human Cooperation" (2007, 250 citations), synthesizes evidence that human cooperation is not merely a product of cultural norms but is deeply rooted in evolved psychological mechanisms. In a landmark experimental study (2007, 26 citations), Hare tested whether involuntary neural activation—specifically, an eye-detector mechanism—increases contributions to public goods. Using images of a robot named Kismet, he demonstrated that even subtle cues of being watched can significantly boost cooperative behavior, revealing an automatic, unconscious foundation for human prosociality. This work has profound implications for understanding the origins of morality, trust, and large-scale cooperation. Hare’s contributions have shaped debates in evolutionary psychology and behavioral economics, and his findings are widely cited for their innovative experimental design and theoretical depth. His research continues to influence how scientists think about the biological and cognitive underpinnings of human social life.