Psychology says humans are more willing to defend their group than attack others—research explains why

On a playground, children often form teams for a simple game of tag. Some eagerly join the chase, while others hesitate, weighing whether it’s worth the effort. Why do people feel more motivated to defend their group than to start a conflict? And how does this instinct shape the way humans cooperate in larger, more serious situations?

Psychologists studying human behavior have found that our minds carry evolved patterns for group conflict. Research titled The Evolutionary Psychology of War: Offense and Defense in the Adapted Mind, published in Evolutionary Psychology on December 14, 2017 by Anthony C. Lopez shows that people distinguish between offensive and defensive aggression.