One theory is that people are motivated to help distant kin because they know that if they don't, others may retaliate against them. In other words, people may help distant kin out of a sense of social obligation.
To test this theory, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, created a series of mathematical simulations. In these simulations, people were represented as nodes in a social network. Each person was connected to a certain number of other people, and each person had a certain amount of resources.
The researchers then simulated different scenarios in which people were asked to help distant kin. In some scenarios, people were free to choose whether or not to help. In other scenarios, people were punished if they did not help.
The researchers found that people were more likely to help distant kin when they were punished for not helping. This suggests that social obligations may play a role in motivating people to help distant kin.
The researchers also found that the likelihood of people helping distant kin decreased as the distance between the people increased. This suggests that people may be more likely to help kin who are more closely related to them.
Overall, these simulations support the theory that socially enforced nepotism may play a role in motivating people to help distant kin. This theory suggests that people are willing to help distant kin because they know that if they don't, others may retaliate against them.
In addition to the potential role of social obligations, there are a number of other reasons why people may be willing to help distant kin. One possibility is that people may feel a sense of altruism, or a desire to help others simply because it is the right thing to do. Another possibility is that people may help distant kin in order to build and maintain relationships that may be beneficial in the future.
