A new study sheds light on why people cooperate when no one is looking. The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, finds that people are more likely to cooperate when they believe that their actions will benefit others, even if they themselves do not directly benefit.

The study involved a series of experiments in which participants were given opportunities to cooperate with others. In some cases, participants were told that their cooperation would benefit others, while in other cases they were told that it would not.

The results showed that participants were more likely to cooperate when they believed that their actions would benefit others. This was true even when participants knew that their cooperation would not directly benefit them.

The researchers believe that this finding is due to a phenomenon called "prosocial motivation." Prosocial motivation is the desire to help others, even if it does not directly benefit the person helping.

The researchers say that their findings have implications for understanding human cooperation. They argue that prosocial motivation is a key factor in understanding why people cooperate in a variety of settings, from small groups to large-scale societies.

Key takeaways:

* People are more likely to cooperate when they believe that their actions will benefit others

* This is true even when participants know that their cooperation will not directly benefit them.

* The researchers believe that this finding is due to a phenomenon called "prosocial motivation."

* Prosocial motivation is the desire to help others, even if it does not directly benefit the person helping.