Inequality Aversion in a Variety of Games –An Indirect Evolutionary Analysis

The indirect evolutionary approach integrates forward-looking evaluation of opportunitiesand adaptation in the light of the past. Subjective motivation determines behavior,but long-run evolutionary success of motivational types depends on objective factors only.This can justify intrinsic aversion to inequality in reward allocation games, though earlieranalysis has typically been restricted to a particular game. We consider a more complexenvironment by combining two games that – studied in isolation – yield opposite implicationsfor inequality aversion. Persistent divergence between intrinsic motivation and truematerial success is possible. It depends on the type of inequality aversion considered and,importantly, agents’ ability to discriminate between the qualitatively different games theyface.