In this blog post, I’ll examine the free-riding problem that arises in college group projects from the perspective of repeated reciprocity, and reflect on what it means for individuals and the community when we help and cooperate with one another.
Unlike in middle and high school, once you enter college and begin working on assignments, you’ll notice that group projects are a common part of the curriculum. I believe the reason for this is not only to test students’ problem-solving skills but also to instill a sense of cooperation and a clear understanding of teamwork in students who are about to enter the workforce. Consequently, many professors assign group projects, and the reason so many students are quite reluctant to participate is likely due, in large part, to the free-rider problem. Free-riding refers to the behavior of a team member who takes on no role, offers no help to teammates, and merely has their name listed on an assignment that other members have worked hard to complete. Free-riding is a problem similar to cheating on an exam, in that it results in the same grade for both the team members who worked hard and those who did not. To prevent this, we need to find the best way to reduce free-riding.
I believe the hypothesis that best explains this issue is the hypothesis of reciprocal reciprocity. Unlike kin selection, which is based on blood ties, reciprocal reciprocity—the idea that altruistic behavior and cooperation can emerge through repeated interactions—can be used to explain how cooperation is maintained even in general relationships that are not based on kinship. Therefore, it will provide a useful direction for devising solutions to free-riding. To put this hypothesis simply, if I help someone, that person will, in turn, try to help me. Therefore, by leveraging this principle, we can reduce free-riding and complete a better group project.
I will propose a new model using reciprocal reciprocity. First, let’s assume there are group members a, b, c, d, and e who all want to earn good grades. Here, we create a circular loop such as a→b→c→d→e→a. The direction of the arrows indicates who is receiving help. In this case, a, b, and c are assigned the same role in the assignment. Additionally, roles are structured in the same manner for (b, c, d), (c, d, e), and (d, e, a). Furthermore, the group member in the center of each set of parentheses is evaluated by the two members on either side, and these evaluations are reflected in the professor’s final grade. This not only allows members to monitor each other but also enables them to identify and address each other’s weaknesses, thereby creating a synergistic effect. Additionally, those who receive help are more likely to offer help in return. This will contribute to successfully completing the group assignment. However, a drawback of this approach is that the workload for each team member increases. In other words, whereas previously “a” only had to perform one role, now “a” must also perform the roles of “e” and “d,” handling three roles in addition to evaluating team members. To prevent this drawback and avoid conflict among team members, “a” should focus primarily on their own role and assist with the roles of “e” and “d” only as a secondary responsibility.
Furthermore, the team leader must effectively allocate roles within the team project. If roles are not distributed appropriately, team members will lose motivation due to the increased workload and fail to produce good results. In other words, it is no exaggeration to say that the most critical aspect of this model lies in the group leader’s role allocation. Furthermore, the group leader takes on a significant workload, as they are responsible not only for their own tasks but also for coordinating the tasks of other members. Therefore, given the group leader’s heavy burden, their role in the project should be structured to alleviate that burden. Furthermore, team members must recognize that the team leader is dedicated to the team and that they are receiving support from the leader. Only then will they feel motivated to offer help in return and develop a sense of duty to work diligently on the assignment. While the team leader may initially feel that their position is a lonely one, they will eventually realize that they, too, are receiving support, which will motivate them to work even harder on the assignment. Thus, this approach can steer team projects in a more positive direction.
At this point, we can ask ourselves why we should not be free riders and why we should live righteously, and find the answers. As we saw earlier, based on reciprocal reciprocity, we help others because we have received help ourselves, and by helping one another, we can produce better results—that is, a high-quality group assignment. Ultimately, this means that while working on a group project together, we achieved good results by doing what we could and offering help where possible. If we define an action that brings good results to everyone as “right,” then in this context, the act of helping others can be considered “right.” Furthermore, we can extend this concept from the team to society as a whole and envision a just society where people help one another.
This is similar to the concept of investment. By investing what I currently have, I may earn a better return, or conversely, I may suffer a loss. However, like many people, I invest in the hope of a return. In other words, I believe that if we hope for a return, we will have no qualms about investing in our present selves. Therefore, we must live righteously for our future selves. While I do not know whether my future self will suffer a loss or gain a benefit, if my future self finds themselves in a difficult situation, they will need help. I don’t know what kind of response I’ll get, but I would first ask for help from the people I’ve helped in the past. And in this situation, the proverb “You reap what you sow” would aptly describe the outcome. As seen from this long-term perspective, doing the right thing by helping others can ultimately have a positive impact on oneself as well. Therefore, we must live righteously.
