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Bargaining Model of Suicidal Behavior

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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science

Synonyms

Costly apology model of suicidal behavior; Costly signaling model of suicidal behavior

Definition

The bargaining model of suicidal behavior frames such acts as costly signals of need. The following conditions are necessary for the model to operate: (1) the victim encounters of a fitness threat in the environment prior to suicidal behavior; (2) there is a conflict of interest between the victim and invested social partners such that the social partners are not otherwise willing to provide support based on less costly signals alone (e.g., verbal communication); (3) the victim is otherwise powerless to remove the fitness threat on her own; (4) more often than not the victim survives the attempt; (5) the nonlethal suicide attempt communicates to social partners that she is truly in need; (6) the social partners assist the victim in removing the fitness threat.

Introduction

Suicide is a universal human tragedy. According to the World Health Organization, suicide is the sources of...

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References

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Correspondence to Kristen Syme .

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Syme, K. (2019). Bargaining Model of Suicidal Behavior. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3839-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3839-1

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