Behavioral Ecology
Cheater Detection
Mechanisms that identify individuals who benefit from cooperation without contributing their fair share. Essential for maintaining cooperative systems against exploitation.
Biological Context
Social species have evolved sophisticated abilities to recognize and punish cheaters. Cleaner fish that bite instead of cleaning get attacked. Vampire bats that don't share blood are ostracized. Without cheater detection, cooperative systems collapse as defectors outcompete cooperators.
Business Application
Business cheater detection: quality assurance, audits, reputation systems, and contractual penalties. Platforms like eBay and Uber rely on rating systems to identify and exclude bad actors.