Role of aspiration-induced migration in cooperation

TL;DR

This paper investigates how aspiration-induced migration influences cooperation, finding that moderate aspiration levels optimize cooperative behavior by fostering cooperator clusters and disrupting defectors.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of aspiration-induced migration and demonstrates its role in promoting cooperation through cluster dynamics.

Findings

Moderate aspiration levels best promote cooperation.

Aspiration-induced migration helps maintain cooperator clusters.

Defector clusters tend to disintegrate under moderate aspiration.

Abstract

Both cooperation and migration are ubiquitous in human society and animal world. In this Rapid Communication, we propose an aspiration-induced migration in which individuals will migrate to new sites provided that their payoffs are below some aspiration level. It is found that moderate aspiration level can best favor cooperative behavior. In particular, moderate aspiration level enables cooperator clusters to maintain and expand whereas induces defector clusters to disintegrate, thus promoting the diffusion of cooperation among population. Our results provide insights into understanding the role played by migration in the emergence of cooperative behavior.